The Kogi State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) has advanced efforts to strengthen the state’s livestock sector with the opening of bids for the construction of three livestock improvement breeding centres, three modern slaughterhouses, and the rehabilitation and upgrade of eight wet markets across the state.
Declaring the bid process open on Thursday in Lokoja, the Permanent Secretary, Kogi State Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr Abdulsalam Hadi, commended the L-PRES initiative for its role in modernising the sector.
‘The projects represent a significant step towards improving productivity, enhancing food safety standards, and strengthening the livelihoods of farmers and value chain actors’, he said.
Hadi, who also chairs the State Technical Committee of L-PRES, urged bidders to uphold professionalism, transparency and integrity, stressing the importance of fairness and accountability.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote innovation, resilience and inclusive growth in the livestock sector.
In his welcome address, the state Project Coordinator, Mr Abdulkabir Otaru, said the projects formed part of broader efforts to provide infrastructure for livestock value chain clusters and enhance sector-wide productivity.
‘We’ve done this before, and it’s paying off. The construction of nine livestock markets is ongoing across the state.
‘We’ve also awarded contracts for the livestock service centre and five slaughterhouses, with contractors currently working on these projects.
‘Today’s bid opening ceremony for the three LIBC, three slaughterhouses and eight wet markets was successful, and we are looking forward to evaluating the bids and awarding the contracts soon’, Otaru said.
He added that the initiative would create employment opportunities for women and youths, improve livelihoods and increase income for livestock farmers.
Otaru noted that the L-PRES Project is a six-year World Bank-assisted programme, with the state government consistently meeting its counterpart funding obligations to access funding.
He expressed appreciation to Governor Usman Ododo for providing an enabling environment for the project’s implementation and the development of the livestock sector.
‘We pledge our commitment and dedication to align with the Kogi State efforts in the development of the agricultural sector, advancing his vision for the development of the livestock value chains’, he said.
He stated that the next stage would involve bid evaluation, which would take several weeks, after which the most responsive bidder would be selected.
The projects are expected to be completed within six months to one year.
The Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria, Kogi State chapter, Prof Usman Omeiza, described the process as ‘very transparent’ and consistent with procurement standards.
‘The bidders were happy, and they know they were given a fair chance’, he said, urging the organisers to sustain the transparency.
Some bidders also commended the process.
Mr Shobowale Abdukoyim of FAAB Global Resources Nigeria Limited described it as ‘efficient and transparent’, while Vincent Obanje of AMAT Integrated Services Limited rated it ‘very high standard’, praising the openness of the exercise.
The bidders expressed optimism about the selection process, emphasising the need for fairness and equal opportunity for all participants.
