The Kogi State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) has received its allocated vaccines from the National Coordination Office in Abuja for mass immunisation against major transboundary animal diseases.
The vaccines were delivered on Thursday in Lokoja to the State Project Coordinator, Mr. Abdulkabir Onoruoyiza Otaru, and handed over to the Commissioner for Livestock Development, Dr. Olufemi Bolarin.
The vaccination programme, implemented under the L-PRES Project, aims to improve animal health, enhance livestock productivity, and strengthen food safety and security in the state.
Dr. Bolarin commended the Federal Government’s initiative, noting that the vaccines would benefit livestock farmers, pastoralists, poultry farmers, and small ruminant farmers. “The impact of this initiative is an increase in livestock productivity, as it will improve animal health,” he said.
Mr. Otaru described the vaccine delivery as a “critical intervention” for boosting livestock productivity in Kogi State. He revealed that the vaccines include 200,000 doses of CBPP vaccines, 30,000 doses of Newcastle Disease vaccines, and 3,000 doses of Foot and Mouth Disease vaccines.
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The SPC said the vaccines would be administered across 64 value chain clusters in the state’s 21 local government areas and stored in a cold-chain facility established by the Kogi L-PRES Project at the Ministry of Livestock Development. He also expressed gratitude to the National Project Coordinator, Dr. Sanusi Abubakar, for his leadership and support.
Barr. Ken Agim, Legal Adviser of the L-PRES Project in Abuja, highlighted that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s efforts to combat livestock diseases nationwide. “The vaccines, procured by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development through L-PRES, are being distributed simultaneously to all 36 states and the FCT to enhance livestock productivity, resilience, and contribute to the economy,” he said.
The distribution follows a similar exercise in 2024, which reportedly yielded positive results in boosting livestock productivity. The move is seen as a significant step towards controlling transboundary animal diseases and strengthening the livestock sector in Kogi State.