- As FECA Provost expresses readiness to support with college lands.
- L-PRES inspection team describes showcased sites as suitable for approval
In its bid to boost food security and enhance livestock production and commercialization, the Ondo State Government has expressed interest in establishing a Livestock Service Centre (LSC) in Akure, the state capital.
The project, part of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) initiative, is considering Ondo State among 12 other states vying for one of five approved Livestock Service Centres nationwide by the World Bank.
Ondo State, one of the twenty states implementing the L-PRES Project—a World Bank-assisted initiative—is believed to have a strong chance of securing approval for the LSC.
This follows an inspection of proposed sites in the state by a team from the National Coordination Office of the L-PRES Project.
During the inspection, Mr. Olufemi Adeogun, Ondo State Project Coordinator of the L-PRES Project, briefed the media, stating that the state is proposing the Federal College of Agriculture Akure (FECA) and the Ondo State Poultry Production Centre on Ondo Road as suitable sites for the establishment of the Centre, which requires approximately one hundred hectares of land.
Additionally, the state is showcasing other locations, including the Veterinary Hospital Akure, Sheep and Goat Market Akure, and Abattoir Akure, for assessment by the visiting inspection team.
Mr. Adeogun emphasized that the proposed LSC will include a veterinary clinic to address animal health, a breeding centre, a livestock market, a feed mill, a pasture farm, and other facilities to boost livestock production and commercialization in the state.
Commenting on the visited locations, the inspection team from the National Coordination Office (NCO) of the L-PRES Project, led by National Technical and Operations Manager Mr. Wasiu Adeoye, described the sites presented by the state as suitable for the project.
Mr. Adeoye noted that obtaining approval should be feasible if the state develops a robust framework and meets the necessary requirements.
He explained that the LSC would serve as a community of co-located facilities and services aimed at promoting livestock development. If established in the state, it would enhance livestock production, processing, commercialization, and support stakeholders in the livestock sector.
Mr. Adeoye further highlighted that the LSC would also improve livelihoods, boost state revenue, create employment, and reduce the need for imported processed meat, among other benefits.
In response to the development, Dr. Akinyemi Fadiyimu, FECA Provost, who conducted the team around the proposed locations at the college along with some management staff, stated that the choice of the college for the project would be highly significant. It would foster research and learning.
Dr. Fadiyimu affirmed that the college would be willing to enter into an agreement with the state and the project, emphasizing the national interest in promoting food security and resolving farmer-herder conflicts, benefiting all parties involved.
Seven Centres were approved by the Bank for the country, with only five available for competition among 12 of the twenty implementing states.
The inspection team included L-PRES National Technical Officer Jibabatu Ibrahim and Secretary Halima Suleiman, and was received by Dr. Adebayo Ehinmowo, Director of Veterinary Services, Ondo State Project Implementation Unit, among others.
Augustine Adeoye
Communication/ICT Officer
Ondo L-PRES Project
August 25, 2024
