The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, through the National Coordination Office of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), has procured and delivered vaccines worth millions of naira to the Taraba state government.

The vaccines, as gathered by The Guardian, are aimed at controlling Transboundary Animal Diseases and enhancing livestock productivity and food security in the state. The intervention is part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to strengthen animal health services across Taraba State.

Receiving the vaccines on behalf of the state government, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Professor Nicholas Oliver Namessan, commended the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development for the support, describing the gesture as timely and critical to the growth of the livestock sector.

Speaking through the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Sarah Ali, the commissioner assured that the vaccines would be distributed to livestock farmers at the grassroots and used strictly for their intended purpose.

“These vaccines will get to the grassroots and will be used appropriately to achieve the objectives for which they were provided,” he said.

The Taraba State L-PRES Coordinator, Mr Hananiah Albert, who received the vaccines from the representative of the National Coordination Office before handing them over to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, expressed appreciation for the intervention.

Represented by Dr Bunshai Dauda, he assured that the state L-PRES office would work closely with the ministry to ensure effective distribution of the vaccines to beneficiaries across the state.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Livestock Commission, Dr Dauda Abubakar Mohammed, praised L-PRES for its sustained contributions to livestock development. He noted that Governor Agbu Kefas is committed to livestock development and peace in the state, adding that the commission would continue to collaborate with L-PRES to achieve its objectives.

In his remarks, the Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Francis Nathan, pledged that the vaccines would reach livestock farmers at the grassroots level. He also commended the leadership of L-PRES and reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to sustained partnership in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities.

Similarly, the Director of Livestock Services called for collective support for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, L-PRES, and the Taraba State Government to ensure the success of livestock development initiatives across the state.