Kogi Begins Upgrade of Nine Livestock Markets to Boost Productivity, Security
The Kogi State Government has begun the rehabilitation and upgrade of nine livestock markets across the state as part of efforts to strengthen livestock infrastructure, improve productivity and enhance safety within the value chain.
The initiative, under the Kogi State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (Kogi L-PRES), officially took off on Saturday with a stakeholders’ engagement and the handover of the Okumi Livestock Market in Lokoja to the project contractor.
At the event, the Commissioner for Livestock Development, Dr Olufemi Bolarin, described the intervention as a major step towards repositioning the livestock sector in the state.
He praised Governor Ahmed Ododo for prioritising livestock development and congratulated farmers and marketers for benefiting from the project.
Bolarin urged stakeholders to promote peaceful coexistence and cooperation, noting that unity among market users would attract more development interventions.
He also reiterated the state government’s commitment to securing lives and property, calling on communities to work together against kidnapping and banditry.
Providing details of the project, the Coordinator of Kogi L-PRES, Mr Abdulkabir Otaru, disclosed that the project had received World Bank approval for its design, completed procurement processes and awarded the rehabilitation contract to RSA Global Investment Limited.
Otaru said work on the nine markets would commence immediately following the handover of sites and is expected to be completed within a period of six to 12 months.
He explained that the project was conceived to tackle poor livestock infrastructure, increase productivity and strengthen resilience across the livestock value chain.
He commended Governor Ododo for his support, particularly the timely payment of the state’s counterpart funding, which he said was critical to the project’s take-off.
According to Otaru, one livestock market in each federal constituency—Okene, Osara-Ngada, Ero, Ejule, Ankpa, Sheria, Okumi, Kabba and Egbe—has been selected for rehabilitation.
“Each market will be equipped with administrative blocks, veterinary clinics, security posts, water and toilet facilities, solar-powered street lights, and loading and unloading ramps, among other facilities,” he said.
He assured stakeholders that robust monitoring and supervision mechanisms had been put in place to ensure quality delivery across all project sites, while urging livestock marketers to cooperate with contractors and take ownership of the facilities to guarantee sustainability.
In separate remarks, the Chairman of Lokoja Local Government Area, Abdullahi Adamu, and traditional rulers, including the Ede of Banda, Alhaji Mohammed Jibril, pledged community support for the successful execution of the project.
Similarly, the Chairman of Okumi Livestock Market, Alhaji Abubakar Sani, expressed appreciation to Kogi L-PRES for selecting the market and promised full cooperation from traders and market users.
On his part, the Project Manager of RSA Global Investment Limited, Paul Dogo, appealed for community support and adequate security, assuring that the company would deliver quality work within the agreed timeline.
The event concluded with the formal handover of the Okumi Livestock Market site to the contractor after an interactive session with key stakeholders.
