By Ajewole Joshua ABNews January 8, 2026
Kwara State has taken the lead among 20 states participating in the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), emerging as the top performer in the project’s final national assessment.
The ranking, carried out by the National Coordination Office in collaboration with the World Bank, reviewed how well states managed funds, coordinated institutions, complied with safeguards, ensured security, submitted reports, and delivered real results to farmers and livestock producers.
For many stakeholders, the result is not just about paperwork or rankings, but about what people are already seeing on the ground — healthier animals, better pasture, and stronger opportunities along the livestock value chain.
Speaking on the development, the Commissioner for Livestock Development, Hon. Oloruntoyosi Adebayo Thomas, said the recognition reflects Kwara’s insistence on doing things right and making sure public resources translate into real impact for citizens.
“This recognition confirms that transparency, careful management of resources and focus on results are not just policies on paper in Kwara State. They are practices that are delivering benefits, especially to livestock farmers and small businesses in the sector,” she said.
The State Project Coordinator, Mr. Olusoji Oyawoye, also described the achievement as the product of teamwork and strict compliance with project standards, adding that Kwara is now being looked at as a reference point for how World Bank-supported projects can be effectively run in Nigeria.
“Our goal has always been to ensure that interventions reach real people; farmers, processors, women and young entrepreneurs. This ranking shows that the systems we put in place are working,” he noted.
Observers also link the success to consistent government backing, including timely release of counterpart funding and steady policy direction from the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, which created what officials describe as a stable environment for project execution.
The L-PRES project, supported by the World Bank, focuses on boosting livestock productivity, strengthening resilience to climate and economic shocks, and improving access to markets. In Kwara, the programme has supported pasture development, improved animal health services and expanded opportunities for value chain players across communities.
The state government has expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, development partners, community leaders and project teams whose cooperation made the strong performance possible, while assuring that efforts will continue to deepen the gains already recorded.
With the top ranking now secured, officials say the next task is to sustain the momentum and ensure that more livestock producers across Kwara feel the impact of the programme in their daily livelihoods; not just in reports and assessments.
