The Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) in Taraba State has begun a five-day training programme for cooperative society leaders as part of efforts to improve livestock production and strengthen the economic resilience of farmers across the state.
Key Highlights
- L-PRES begins five-day cooperative training in Jalingo to strengthen livestock production and farmer resilience in Taraba State.
- Training covers financial management, business planning and cooperative governance, alongside sustainable livestock production.
- Cooperative leaders are being equipped with practical skills in record keeping, accountability, conflict resolution and market access.
- L-PRES urged cooperatives to promote inclusion by increasing the participation of women, youths and vulnerable members.
- Taraba Agriculture Ministry highlights cooperatives’ economic role, particularly in poverty reduction, employment and food security.
The capacity-building exercise, which commenced on Thursday in Jalingo, is focused on key areas including financial management, business planning, cooperative governance and sustainable livestock production.
The programme is expected to equip cooperative leaders with the skills needed to manage their organisations more effectively, improve members’ access to markets and financing, and ensure that livestock interventions generate lasting economic benefits for farming communities.
Speaking to participants, the State Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Mr Hananiah G. Albert, said cooperative societies were central to ensuring that the project’s interventions reached livestock farmers in a transparent and sustainable manner.
Albert, who was represented by the State ICT and Communities Officer, Mr Ezra Atimas, said the training would provide participants with practical knowledge in cooperative leadership, financial management, record keeping, accountability and conflict resolution.
Other areas covered include business development, market access and sustainable livestock production.
He urged the cooperative leaders to participate actively throughout the training, engage facilitators with questions and share experiences that could help improve the operations of their respective societies.
The coordinator also stressed the need for cooperatives to protect members’ interests, maintain accurate financial and administrative records and ensure that resources were managed transparently and responsibly.
Albert called on the cooperative leaders to promote greater participation by women, youths and vulnerable members in leadership, decision-making and economic activities.
He expressed optimism that strengthening the capacity of cooperative leaders would contribute to the successful implementation of L-PRES objectives in Taraba State.
The coordinator further encouraged participants to take the lessons from the programme back to their cooperatives and use them to improve services, create more economic opportunities for members and strengthen the livestock value chain.
Also speaking, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the Taraba State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Yohanna T. Bulus, described the training as timely, noting the important role cooperatives play in the state’s local economy.
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Bulus said properly managed cooperative societies could contribute significantly to poverty reduction, employment generation and food security.
He, however, noted that the sustainability of cooperatives depended largely on effective leadership, sound financial management and realistic business planning.
According to him, even established cooperative societies could face difficulties when they lack proper governance structures and adequate systems for managing their finances and resources.
He said the training would help participants develop practical skills for maintaining transparent financial records, planning profitable activities, managing resources prudently and running their organisations with accountability.
Bulus urged the participants to take the sessions seriously and ensure that the knowledge gained translates into measurable improvements in the day-to-day management of their cooperative societies.
The training is part of ongoing efforts under L-PRES to strengthen livestock production systems and improve the economic resilience of livestock-producing communities in Taraba State.
