By Correspondent in Osara.
The Kogi State Livestock Production and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) has initiated a strategic collaboration with the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, to explore the commercialization of pasture production for export under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
As part of this engagement, the L-PRES team, led by its State Coordinator, Otaru Abdulkadir Onoruoyiza, paid a courtesy visit to the Vice Chancellor of CUSTECH, Engr. Prof. Abdulrahman Asipita Salawu, on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
During the meeting, Onoruoyiza highlighted the purpose of the visit, which included assessing a 50-hectare land area within the university premises for its suitability for pasture development. He outlined the potential benefits of the initiative, such as boosting livestock productivity, enhancing food security, reducing farmer-herder conflicts, creating employment opportunities for youths, and improving livelihoods.
Also speaking, Ms. Healther Ronke Akani, a Value Chain Consultant with L-PRES, emphasized the project’s potential to contribute significantly to Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings while also helping to address insecurity. She called for strong institutional cooperation to ensure the programme’s success.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Engr. Prof. Salawu, commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for providing a conducive environment for the project’s implementation, including allocating 100 hectares of land by the confluence of Rivers Osara and Oro for the pilot phase. He described the initiative as mutually beneficial, especially for Agricultural Science students who will gain practical exposure, making CUSTECH a key stakeholder in the process.
The event also had in attendance Dr. Roland Oroh, Managing Director/CEO of the Commodities Development Initiative (CDI), and other Value Chain Cluster Coordinators.
Kogi L-PRES is a World Bank-assisted initiative aimed at transforming the livestock sector for resilience and economic development, according to the Information.from the Public Relations and Protocol Unit of the university and a copy made available to The Reporters.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
