The Ekiti State Government said it is targeting 200,000 farmers to create 1.5 million jobs through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Enhancement Project (L-PRES).

The government said it would boost livestock productivity, improve resilience, and commercialize selected value chains initiatives, including cluster formation across the state.

L-PRES is a World Bank-supported project implemented across 20 states of the federation in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Abuja, and respective state ministries of agriculture.

The project is expected to directly benefit 1.43 million farmers across the country.

Speaking at the opening of a five- day workshop on productivity and technology adoption survey and analysis, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Boluwade Ebenezer, said the state is focusing on four selected livestock value chains including Dairy/Beef, Sheep/Goat, Piggery and Poultry (Broiler and Eggs production).

Boluwade, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Ebenezer Babatope Ojo, urged all the relevant value chain actors/ players to work in synergy with other ancillary agribusinesses to ensure sustainable food security and peaceful co-existence in Ekiti State.

In his remarks, the project coordinator of L-Press in Ekiti, Mr Olayinka Adedipe, said that L-Press currently operates in 16 local governments of the State, adding that it is carrying out mass extension works with stakeholders such as people in academic and extension officers.

“If we are able to empower 200,000 farmers, look at the indirect jobs that will be linked to that, so, for the indirect jobs, we are looking at over 1.5 million jobs.”

Also speaking, the Lead Consultant, the Synergy Impact Consultant Limited, Professor Ogunlola James, noted that attention has always been on crop production, saying this is the first time the country is shifting attention to livestock production.