L-PRES: Kwara Trains Stakeholders on Mitigating Impacts of Climate Change

... Three automated weather stations installed to reduce losses, improve productivity - Project Coordinator 

The Kwara State Government has trained not fewer than one hundred livestock officers and other stakeholders on reducing impacts of climate change, through climate-smart agriculture and early warning meteorological systems in livestock production.

The training, organised by the Kwara State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) and packaged by Synergy Impact Consultants Limited in collaboration with the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services(NAERLS), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State was held at E-Phoenix Hotel in Ilorin on Monday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the programme, the State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Livestock Development, Mrs. Oloruntoyosi Thomas disclosed that the training would greatly benefit both crop and livestock small holder farmers in understanding the impact of climate change and early warning meteorological systems for improved production in the sector.

The Governor said that the event came at the right time when  people, especially, farmers needed meteorological information to plan their farming activities in order to protect their investments.

Mallam AbdulRazaq charged the trainees to participate actively and ensure adequate dissemination of the information about weather related matters to the people at the grassroots to assist them in planning their activities for better results.

He further assured Kwarans of his administration's commitment to improving productivity in the livestock sector and continued support to farmers to achieve self-sufficiency in food production in the State.

In their separate remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Strategy, Hon. Atiku Abdulsalam and the Senior Special Assistant on Agriculture (Kwara North) Hon. Mohammed Musa Baba described the initiative as a good development in the agricultural sector, and commended the State Governor's giant strides across all sectors in the State.

In his remarks, the Project Coordinator, Mr. Olusoji Oyawoye disclosed that the State government through L-PRES have installed three automatic weather stations in the three senatorial districts of the State to mitigate losses and improve productivity, according to him the location of newly installed weather stations include; Kaiama, Kaiama Local Government (North); Ijagbo, Oyun Local Government (South) and Wara, Ilorin West Local Government (Central) under the supervision of the local government authorities.

Mr. Oyawoye said the weather stations are managed by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) and the Michigan State University, United States of America, adding that the systems give real-time updates of the weather forecast 

The Project Coordinator stated that participants were carefully selected across the State and federal ministries, departments and agencies, livestock farmers, extension agents and relevant professional associations and  institutions in the State.

He thanked the State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for providing visionary leadership and enabling the environment for the livestock sector in the State.

Earlier, the lead facilitator, Prof. Adetunji Olatunji from NAERLS, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, said the training focused on climate-smart livestock production, early warning systems, and data interpretation.

Yusuf Ganiyu Adebisi 

Project Communication and ICT Officer 

Kwara L-PRES.