Yobe, in collaboration with the Federal Government, has completed phase one of an integrated livestock development project in the state.
Dr Musa Kollere, Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Friday.
According to him, the project, which is sitting on 50,000 hectares of land at Nasari-Jakusko grazing reserve, is jointly funded by the state and the Federal Government.
He said the project began in 2021, when the state partnered Federal Government to establish livestock development centres in three senatorial districts.
“ In line with the National Livestock Development Policy, we wrote a proposal to the Federal Government to assist us in developing the 18 gazetted grazing reserves in Yobe.
“ The Federal Government accepted the proposal and provided a matching grant of N6.4 billion, while Yobe also contributed N6.4 billion for execution of the project.
“ Under the project, three grazing reserves would be developed, one from each of the three senatorial zones of the state,” Kollere said.
The executive secretary listed components of the project to include drilling of 12 industrial solar-powered boreholes, construction of five earth dams and 52 units of two- bedroom flats.
He said others were connecting the centre to the national grid, construction of a clinic, veterinary hospital, primary school, six-kilometre road, a milking point and artificial insemination unit.
Kollere noted that the completed centre would enhance livestock value chain, improve living conditions of herders and mitigate conflict between farmers and herders.
“ As you may be aware, Yobe is one of the largest producers of livestock in the country. Therefore, we plan to attract about 1 million head of cattle into the centre.
“ We hope that the completion of the centre will lead to establishment of small cottage industries for the production of milk and beef and processing hide and skin.
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“ This will assist in increasing our internally generated revenue to provide social services to the people,” the executive secretary said.
Kollere called on benefitting herders to own the project and utilise it to improve their livelihoods.
He announced that the next phase of the project would begin in the second quarter of 2024 at Gurjaji Grazing Reserve in Fika Local Government Area.(NAN)
