Development Bank of Nigeria, DBN aside providing soft landing for Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises MSME’s programs, projects among others in Nigeria has expanded its activities towards covering other areas of businesses which included Livestocks.
This specific areas under its newly introduced program of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support L-PRES was geared at not only encouraging livestokck farmers in the south east , but gradually across the country to ensure a well articulated approach into the initiatives, that will gradually spread across the country in other of priority.
Under the leadership of Dr Tony Okpanachi, the new area commenced its awareness amd operations in the south eastern region of the country, and was not only meant at providing financial assistance, but mentorship initiative towards creating a boom across the sector.
Aside enabling the program gain easier access to funding facilities, building stronger businesses, DBN intended to create a livestock security, and reduce to the barest minimum the major risk involved in the businesses.
The new innovation targeted at livestock businesses in the south east will harness and encourage bumper harvest that will reduce across states movement of livestock in the country.
Aggressively across livestock value chain, it will focus in areas such as providing finances, management, records, productivity, documentation, with a view to enabling them access funding through soft landing.
With indepth capacity building through training, orientation, awareness among others, the new area intended to inculcate into its maiden program a stretch of information through a one week program under its Livestock Accelerator and Mentorship Program, LAMP, designed for selected entrepreneurs in that area, with intensive training capable of improving management and financial viability of the new incentives
With the creation of the new Ministry of Livestock from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, no doubt both government and the private sector are in synergy at improving not only the finances both management of livestock industry .
With experts both from the new Ministry and the Development Bank of Nigeria, DBN no doubt , availement after the session will unlock the activities of livestock production not only in the vulnerable south east part in the country , but by extension the entire nation with ease of doing business for possible export.
The Development Bank of Nigeria, DBN through funding supportsis rooted in the expansion of Nigeria Livestock Growth and Acceleration Strategy, NLGA aimed at establishing a competitive market for a thriving industry, charged with classifed animal development and production.
In that vein , due diligence assessment through identification in cognizance to its 10 pillars putting into consideration the need to access finances and trainings as a corrolary.
With determination of government supports , political will and the need to improve livestock businesses across board , it desire to meeting the needed requirements and obligations to accessing funds cannot be over -emphasized.
Therefore, throwing its weight behind the new area by Development Bank of Nigeria, DBN through capacity building will gradually commence availement simultaneously across the sector.
Having fulfilled the basic requirements through encouragement with basic entrepreneurial skills and documentation required by the Bank, it is obvious that the program is already on course.
With the latest approach by DBN, the project intended to provide more trainings, sustained mentorship, with a view to establishing a vibrant livestock value chain in Nigeria.
Along with subsidized access to funding near single digit far from commercial banks lending, it is germane that alot of improvements will be attracted to livestock businesses.
While engaging stakeholders in that sector , DBN determination under L-PRES is capable of galvanizing the capacity and availement with the working of PFIs, to attract adequate funding in line with the fulfillmentof component 2.2 that addressed training and finance.
While highlighting the era of non availement as a thing of the past , the Bank efforts at bridging the participants efforts through inadequate documentation, needed orientation will be a thing of the past .
This was encouraged by the enrollment of 60 livestock entrepreneurs with adequate trainings, while others are being considered in the same vein.
With a promise for continuous training and retraining, no doubt DBN is implementing a wholistic order under the current management of Dr Tony Okpanachi towards accelerating livestock production in Nigeria.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
