Lokoja (Nigeria): Kogi L-PRES has trained 300 livestock stakeholders to mainstream Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and Participatory Learning Action (PLA) methods for improved livestock development across the state.
The training covered all three Senatorial Districts and brought together extension agents, lead farmers, value-chain actors, and community service providers.
Officials said the programme aimed to deepen participatory approaches and improve support for rural livestock communities.
Declaring the workshop open on Saturday, Commissioner for Livestock Development, Dr Olufemi Bolarin, said livestock remained vital to Kogi’s economy and rural transformation.
He described livestock as central to food security, income generation and poverty reduction across the state.
Bolarin identified poor extension coverage, weak technical capacity and low technology adoption as significant sector challenges.
He said the state remained committed to empowering frontline livestock workers with better skills and tools.
Represented by Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Abdulsalam Hadi, the commissioner urged participants to share experiences “for the benefit of farmers”.
State Project Coordinator Abdulkabir Otaru said the training was held in Lokoja, Anyigba and Okene over three days.
He explained that the programme strengthened participants’ capacity to integrate PRA and PLA tools into advisory services.
Otaru said these methods would improve the relevance of training and ensure that interventions meet farmers’ actual needs.
He added that the techniques would boost technology adoption and promote Good Animal Husbandry Practices statewide.
“The programme is a Train-of-Trainers initiative targeting 300 participants across the livestock value chain,” he said.
Otaru said a revalidation exercise identified 32,000 genuine livestock farmers, down from an earlier baseline of 54,000.
He stressed that “the era of portfolio farmers without farms is over in Kogi”.
He said trained agents and lead farmers would cascade knowledge to 32,000 farmers across 64 clusters.
Otaru praised Gov. Ahmed Ododo for supporting efforts to strengthen livestock productivity and food security.
He urged participants to engage actively, calling the workshop a “contributory and participatory programme”.
Managing Director of the Kogi-Agricultural Development Project, Dr Bello Ogirima, said extension agents were vital to providing quality advisory services across the state.
He called for cooperation to ensure project goals are met across agribusiness clusters.
Extension agent Johnson Olusegun commended Kogi L-PRES for prioritising continuous capacity-building for livestock workers.
He said the training would help them address challenges hindering livestock value chains.
Resource persons delivered presentations on participatory needs assessment, PRA and PLA, planning, technology testing and evaluation.
Officials said the workshop marked progress toward resilient, scalable and participatory livestock practices in Kogi.