The Ekiti State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project has organized a sensitization workshop for field officers and livestock extension workers on farm bio-hazard risk reduction measures.
Addressing participants in Ado-Ekiti during the three-day programme designed to strengthen preventive health practices in livestock production and safeguard public health, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Ebenezer Boluwade, emphasized the importance of proactive livestock health management in sustaining food security.
He noted that the livestock sector is exposed to various disease threats, which require field officers to be well-equipped with modern biosecurity knowledge.
“The State Government is committed to promoting safe and hygienic livestock farming practices. Preventing disease outbreaks is far more cost-effective than responding to epidemics after they occur,” Boluwade said.
He urged participants to transfer the knowledge gained to farmers at the grassroots.
In his contribution, the State Project Coordinator, L-PRES Mr. Olayinka Adedipe, said the training was organized to improve the capacity of extension personnel, veterinarians and livestock support officers who work directly with farmers.
According to him, “Bio-hazard risk reduction is central to the goals of L-PRES. When we reduce animal diseases at farm level, we enhance productivity, improve livestock value chain incomes and protect consumers. This training is a step toward building a healthier livestock system in Ekiti State.”
In their goodwill messages, the Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Emmanuel Osayomi, and the Director of Animal Husbandry Services, Mr. Anthony Alofe, stressed the need for strict adherence to farm hygiene, vaccination schedules, disease surveillance, and movement control of animals.
They highlighted that extension officers play a strategic role as the link between government policies and livestock farmers, and therefore must practice and promote high standards of animal health management.
Participants at the training expressed appreciation to the State Government and L-PRES for what they described as a timely and impactful capacity-building exercise.
They promised to apply the knowledge gained in their field operations to reduce risks of animal disease outbreaks and enhance farm productivity.
The sensitization programme forms part of the ongoing activities under the Ekiti L-PRES Project, supported by the World Bank, to boost livestock productivity, improve livelihoods, and strengthen veterinary health systems in the state.