FG, Development Bank Begin Livestock Loan Programme in South-East

The Federal Government, through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Programme, L-PRES, has begun a livestock accelerator and mentorship programme for selected businesses in the South-East.

The programme, organised in partnership with the Development Bank of Nigeria, is designed to help livestock businesses develop the skills needed to access loans and expand their operations.

Speaking in Enugu, the state L-PRES Project Coordinator, Dr. Ifeyinwa Nnajieze, said the programme would give livestock farmers better access to finance.

She said Enugu was selected to host the South-East programme because of its ongoing investments in livestock development.

Nnajieze said more than 15,000 livestock farmers in Enugu had been profiled across the pig, poultry, cattle, goat and sheep value chains.

She added that farmers, academics, veterinary professionals and extension workers had also received training in areas including artificial insemination, animal husbandry, business development and One Health.

Representing the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, Director of Livestock, Dr. Adedoye Adeniyi, said access to finance was essential for livestock businesses.

He urged participants to apply the knowledge gained from the five-day training to improve their enterprises.

The programme brings together selected livestock MSMEs from Enugu and Ebonyi States.