The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Oloruntoyosi Thomas made this call at a workshop organized by Ibolo Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA), in collaboration with Development Governance International Foundation (DGIF), held at Ijagbo, Oyun Local Government Area of the State.

The workshop, which was organized for livestock farmers in Ibolo Kingdom, had in attendance the stakeholders in livestock business, traditional rulers in the area, Local Government TIC Chairmen, financial institutions, and state government representatives.

Declaring the event open, Mrs. Thomas appreciated the organizers’ contributions to the development of the sector and for strengthening the capacity of livestock farmers to improve their livelihood, as well as increasing the revenue generation of the sector.

The Commissioner, who reiterated the importance of collaboration to achieve the potentials of livestock sector in transforming the economy, enjoined Local Governments in the state to borrow a leaf from ICCIMA with a view to replicating it in their respective communities.

She commended the Ibolo Kingdom for being the first to take the advantage of the state government intervention project in livestock sector, by adapting it into their programmes and urged other communities to follow suite.

The State Project Coordinator (SPC), Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), Mr. Olusoji Oyawoye commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for repositioning the livestock sector through the L-PRES Project by making it more attractive to investors in order to address the problem of unemployment in the state.

He expressed optimism that investment in the livestock sector would create more job opportunities and market linkage, commercialization of the sector, provide basic infrastructure, and mitigate conflicts, which may likely arise between herders and farmers in the sector.

Mr. Oyawoye thanked the organisers for complementing the state government drive towards developing livestock in the state and assured the participants that the L-PRES Project would address most of the challenges earlier raised.

In his welcome address, the President of ICCIMA, Mr. Paul Olagunju described goat and sheep farming as a catalyst in developing the livestock sector.

According to him, “goats and sheep farming in Nigeria play a multifaceted role in economic development, encompassing livelihood support, food security, employment generation, and contributions to both domestic and international trade.

“Rearing goats and sheep generate a lot of employment and revenue in terms of imports and exports. Other products in the value chain include meat, wool, milk, and leathers”, Olagunju explained.

He commended the State Government for providing an enabling environment for effective and smooth operation of the organization to improve the efficiency of livestock value chain operators in the state.