17/10/2025
Borno State L-PRESS 2nd Stakeholders Engagement Meeting
Date: 15th October 2025
The Borno State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRESS) convened a one-day stakeholders’ engagement meeting aimed at strengthening collaboration, enhancing productivity, and improving resilience across key livestock value chains in the state. The event brought together representatives from the Borno State Government, development partners, NIRSAL PLC, academia, producer associations, and private sector actors.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Makinta Alhaji Ali, the State Project Coordinator, highlighted L-PRESS’s seven-year journey as a World Bank-supported initiative designed to enhance livestock productivity, commercialization, and climate resilience. He emphasized the importance of stakeholder collaboration and genetic improvement in achieving sustainable livestock development. The representative of the Honourable Commissioner for Livestock and Fisheries Development, Dr. Emmanuel Kaidal, reaffirmed government commitment to revitalizing the livestock sector through modern infrastructure, grazing reserves, veterinary clinics, and milk collection centers.
Presentations by Mr. Abdullahi Bukar (L-PRESS M&E Officer) and Prof. Asheikh L.G. showcased the project’s significant progress and transformative vision. Key achievements include profiling over 19,000 farmers, establishing Farmer Field Schools, supporting disease surveillance training, and expanding livestock infrastructure. The project prioritizes gender inclusion, with women constituting 30% of direct beneficiaries, and aims to reach 1.43 million individuals across Borno State.
Stakeholder discussions centered on the four priority value chains beef, dairy, poultry, and hides & skins focusing on improving feed efficiency, disease control, marketing, and access to finance. NIRSAL PLC, represented by Mr. Mohammed Baba Malam, highlighted the institution’s role in facilitating agricultural credit and de-risking livestock investments through cooperative financing and non-interest loan schemes.
Group brainstorming sessions yielded practical resilience strategies. The poultry group highlighted feed cost reduction, disease control, and market access challenges; the hide and skin group emphasized value addition, equipment modernization, and vendor financing; while the butchery and cattle fattening group proposed rehabilitation of veterinary substations, establishment of cold chains, and provision of solar-powered abattoirs and feed mills.
In conclusion, participants commended L-PRESS Borno State for fostering inclusivity and multi-stakeholder dialogue. The meeting produced actionable insights to strengthen livestock value chains, promote gender empowerment, and enhance economic resilience. The outcomes are expected to accelerate sustainable livestock transformation, contributing to Borno State’s economic recovery and Nigeria’s agricultural diversification agenda