The World Bank supported livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project has reached about 1.4million beneficiaries across 20 states

The World Bank-funded Project, valued at about $500 million and expected to run for six years, was designed to improve livestock productivity, strengthen resilience and enhance commercialisation across key value chains, including beef, dairy, sheep, goat, poultry and feed systems.

The National Coordinator of L-PRES Dr Abubakar Sanusi while speaking at the Mid-Term Review (MTR) said the review is aimed at assessing progress and strengthening the next phase of implementation across Nigeria.

He stated that the project is part of the Federal Government’s broader livestock transformation agenda under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aimed at repositioning the livestock sector as a major contributor to national economic growth, food security, employment generation, and rural development.

The World Bank Task Team Leader, Dr. Menniviel Sene, emphasized the need to fast-track implementation and ensure that the project delivers meaningful and sustainable results for livestock farmers and communities across Nigeria. In his remarks, the National Project

Speaking further, the National Project Coordinator said the figure had exceeded the project’s initial target of 1.43 million beneficiaries, saying bbeneficiaries include 546,000 females and 903,000 males, reflecting the broad reach of the project.

These interventions according to him range from. training and advisory services to vaccination campaigns, pasture development, infrastructure support and input distribution to help livestock farmers improve productivity, resilience and income generation.

Dr Abubakar highlighted some of the achievements of the project to include improvements in livestock and milk production with milk production per cow rising from 274.5 litres to 375.9 litres annually, while cattle carcass weight increased from 135kg to 160kg.

He added that sheep production had also improved from 14.22kg to 21.43kg, while goat production continued to show steady progress. He added that 1,492 farmers also benefited from artificial insemination services, with over 3,489 cattle already inseminated.

Abubakar said the project was expanding economic opportunities for women and strengthening household resilience in rural communities and identified animal health interventions as a key pillar of the project.

Abubakar said the livestock sector remained a major economic opportunity with the potential to create jobs, improve food security, expand exports and support rural livelihoods.

He said the project had reached over 388,000 farmers with agricultural services, while more than 101,000 farmers had adopted improved livestock technologies.

He also disclosed that over 6,184 personnel had received specialised training, representing significant progress in institutional strengthening.

The trained personnel include extension workers, veterinary officers and artificial insemination technicians supporting livestock service delivery nationwide.

He added that the project aligns with the Federal Government’s Livestock Transformation Agenda under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

The meeting was attended by World Bank officials, state project coordinators, the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science, the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation, among others.

As the project move into its next phase, stakeholders reiterated their commitment to supporting the vision of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development under the leadership of the Minister, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, to transform Nigeria’s livestock sector into a modern, competitive, and economically viable industry capable of contributing significantly to national development, food security, employment generation, and economic diversification under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.