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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Economy & Trade

Kwara targets food security and jobs through livestock reforms

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Kwara State is expanding livestock reforms aimed at increasing food production, creating jobs, and raising incomes for farmers and pastoralists.
  • Officials reported that average milk production rose 28.3% to 352.2 litres per cow annually in 2025, while cattle and sheep carcass weights also increased.
  • Government measures include vaccinations, farmer training, veterinary laboratory upgrades, solar-powered water facilities, and other livestock infrastructure.

Kwara State is trying to turn livestock keeping into a commercially driven industry, with the government linking its reforms to food security, job creation, and higher incomes for farmers and pastoralists.

Commissioner for Livestock Development Oloruntoyosi Thomas said average milk production had risen from 274.5 litres per cow per year at baseline to 352.2 litres in 2025, a 28.3% increase. Average cattle carcass weight increased from 135 kilograms to 190.8 kilograms, while sheep carcass weight rose from 14.2 kilograms to 23.7 kilograms.

Our ultimate objective is to move Kwara from livestock keeping to a commercially driven livestock economy capable of creating jobs, improving food security, strengthening rural livelihoods and increasing the income of farmers and pastoralists.

· Oloruntoyosi ThomasKwara’s livestock commissioner described the government’s long-term objective.

Thomas attributed the gains to measures covering animal health, farmer training, infrastructure, pasture development, and the commercialisation of livestock production. The interventions include work under the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project and other government programmes across the livestock value chain.

The gains recorded so far are the result of deliberate interventions in animal health, farmer training, infrastructure, pasture development and the commercialisation of livestock production.

· Oloruntoyosi ThomasThomas attributed the reported productivity improvements to the state’s interventions.

The state said 238,718 cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry had been vaccinated against major diseases, benefiting more than 1,100 livestock farmers. Since L-PRES activities began in October 2023, officials have profiled 8,951 people across selected livestock value chains and held about 100 engagements with communities and other stakeholders.

The government also rehabilitated and equipped the veterinary laboratory in Ilorin and strengthened its vaccine cold chain with solar power. The laboratory increased the number of animals screened from 157 to 246. Other projects include solar-powered boreholes, drinking troughs, cattle sheds, feedlots, and elevated goat pens in livestock communities.

Since the commencement of L-PRES activities in October 2023, we have profiled 8,951 people across selected livestock value chains and held about 100 engagements with communities and other value-chain stakeholders.

· Oloruntoyosi ThomasThe commissioner outlined the reach of the livestock support programme.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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