The World Bank team, with the National Coordination Office of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), have conducted a pre-midterm review of the project implementation status of Kwara and Oyo States in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State.

The event, which was held at the Noktel Hotel Ilorin, had in attendance the World Bank representative, Hira Channa; representatives of the L-PRES National Office led by Alhaji Tunde Atanda; the representative of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr. Hussaini Gulak Ularamu; Oyo State L-PRES Project Coordinator, Mr. Kola Kazeem; and the representative of the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Ahmed Umar.

In his opening remarks, the L-PRES National Project Coordinator (NPC), Sanusi Abubakar, who was represented by Mrs. Tayo Okewoye, said the team's mission is to assess the overall performance and impact of L-PRES implementation progress across the twenty participating states through structured field verification, evaluate the quality of interventions, and strengthen stakeholder engagement.

He added that part of the mission objective is also to identify gaps and best practices, as well as review documents and consolidate findings in preparation for the main Midterm Review scheduled to hold in Lagos State.

Sanusi explained that the MTR would help to examine the quality and effectiveness of the project interventions, including service delivery, infrastructure, climate-smart practices, and beneficiary targeting.

The National Coordinator further disclosed that the team would have an interface with key stakeholders, including state officials, service providers, livestock producer organizations, community groups, women and youth beneficiaries, to gather feedback on project performance, inclusiveness, and sustainability, to make informed decisions.

While commending the progress and quality of the implementation in the state, the NPC attributed the success to the state government's unwavering support for the project.

Measuring Impact of Ongoing Interventions

The Kwara State L-PRES Project Coordinator, Mr. Olusoji Oyawoye, said the review meeting was necessary to measure the impact of ongoing interventions and ensure that project goals are achieved.

The Coordinator explained that the project has continued to support livestock farmers through infrastructure development and capacity building aimed at increasing the productivity and resilience of farmers and other value chain actors in the state.

He also said the midterm review would further assist the project at the state level to consolidate the present gains, identify mistakes, and guide the project in subsequent decision-making.

The Oyo State Project Coordinator, Mr. Kola Kazeem, said the statewide midterm review would provide his state with the opportunity to identify its weaknesses and challenges in the course of implementing its activities, with a view to finding workable solutions.

Highlights of the activities include the presentation of progress reports by State Project Coordinators, inspection of project sites, and visits to key stakeholders in the state.