The Enugu State Government has inaugurated the State Steering Committee (SSC) and State Technical Committee (STC) of the Enugu State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRESS).
According to reports, the inauguration aligns with the Project Implementation Arrangements Plan at the state level, aiming to ensure the success of the L-PRESS program.
The State Steering Committee comprises the Commissioner of Agriculture as Chairperson, along with representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Gender, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria Institute of Animal Science (NIAS), and the Farmers and Herders Association.
Reports indicate that the State Technical Committee, chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and representatives from relevant sectors, is tasked with monitoring the progress and implementation of the program, among other duties.
While inaugurating the committee, the Chief of Staff to the Enugu State Government, Dr. Victor Udeh, represented by the Principal Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Ken Chukwuegbo, commended Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah for his outstanding efforts in making the project a success in the state.
He tasked the State Steering Committee with adhering strictly to their roles and responsibilities, which include providing strategic orientation, policy guidance, and direction for the project at the state level. They are also to ensure that all project activities meet minimum requirements in terms of consistency with sector policies, standards, and general priorities.
In his address, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Patrick Ubru, praised the Governor for his commitment to ensuring that Enugu State becomes a participating state in the L-PRESS project. He highlighted the significance of livestock as a vital segment of agriculture, crucial to the food value chain and human existence.
In her remarks, the State Project Coordinator, Dr. Ifeyinwa Elizabeth Nnajieze, commended Governor Mbah for providing an enabling environment for livestock farmers to thrive in the state. She also applauded the committee for their dedication, which she believes will transform livestock production activities in the state.
Dr. Nnajieze stated that the Project Development Objective is to improve the productivity, commercialization, and resilience of targeted livestock production systems. She expressed her gratitude to Governor Mbah for his unwavering support towards the project, emphasizing that the L-PRESS project aims to provide supporting measures to help livestock producers and ancillary agribusinesses mitigate and increase their adaptive capacity to climate change and resilience.
“We achieve this through strengthening service delivery to farmers, improving livestock extension and advisory services, promoting the use of climate-smart technologies and practices that reduce climate change impacts and greenhouse gas emissions, and supporting livestock producer organizations and other value chain operators to enhance their performance and promote an inclusive and resilient supply chain,” she added.
Dr. Nnajieze assured that the project’s benefits would reach the profiled livestock producers.
It is expected that, before the expiration of the project’s lifespan, Enugu State will become an economic hub for livestock production and exportation, significantly enhancing revenue yield and return on investment.
