Gombe State L-PRES Project has concluded a two-day intensive training on Access to Market Information, Market Oriented Negotiation Skills for Livestock Farmers and Value Chain Actors across the eleven local Government Areas of the state.

 

Welcoming participants the Coordinator Gombe L-PRES Project Prof. Usman Bello Abubakar said the training is designed to empower livestock producers, processors, transporters and marketers with essential skills to access market information and enhance their negotiation capabilities to obtain favorable market opportunities and options for their products and services.

 

He highlighted that, Gombe State Government under the leadership of Governor Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya with support from the World Bank joined the L-PRES Project with the aim to revitalize the livestock sector and has since embarked on various interventions including rehabilitation of earth dams at the famous Wawa Zange Grazing Reserve, constructed solar powered boreholes to provide access to water for farmers and their livestock in several rural communities across the state.

As part of efforts to improve infrastructure, the Project Coordinator said so far, the project has rehabilitated slaughter slaps at Gombe, Kumo and Bajoga in Gombe, Akko and Funakaye Local Government Areas respectively.

 

He explained that similar interventions are ongoing at Kashere, Bajoga and Lalaipido livestock markets, while stalls and toilets facilities for live-birds markets at Kwadon, Tallase, Kurugu and Bajoga are undergoing construction to provide conducive environment for businesses to flourish.

 

Prof. Abubakar noted that, the essence of these positive developments is to lay a solid foundation for the full the take off of Gombe State livestock reforms which requires proper re-positioning of both local and urban livestock infrastructure as well as training and retraining of livestock farmers and stakeholders.

 

He emphasized the need for participants to give the training all the seriousness it deserved considering its potentials to equip them with basic skills and knowledge on how to access market information and market oriented negotiation skills to improve their business activities.

 

“Gombe State Government under the L-PRES Project has introduced numerous projects to salvage the livestock sector, these far reaching interventions are commendably yielding positive results with increased improvement in behavior change among livestock farmers, value chain actors and stakeholders towards embracing modern livestock practices. I therefore call on you to support these laudable initiatives of the state Governor to modernize the sector into a viable and sustainable industry” He said.

 

He hinted that the ongoing upgrade of Gombe Vet clinic at Tashan Dukku to a fully operational veterinary hospital, will go along away towards improving animal health and beef production, adding that the state will soon be at the center stage of global livestock business activities with immense potentials for profits and revenue for the state and income for livestock farmers.

 

While briefing them on plans to establish International Livestock Market, Ultra Modern Abattoir, upgrading of Gombe Poultry Production Unit into a befitting facility Prof. Abubakar further charged participants on the importance of adapting to the rapidly changing market landscape and encouraged them to leverage this opportunity to learn innovative strategies that can lead to the development of modern market practices.

 

The facilitator conducting the training Professor Babangida Mohammed Musa from the Department of Business Administration Gombe State University guided participants through six modules covering wide range of topics, including effective Market Information Systems, Negotiation Techniques tailored for the livestock sector and Strategies for Building Strong Market Relationships among others.

 

Speaking about the content of his presentations Prof. Babangida hinted that by the end of the training participants are expected to be equipped with practical skills and insights that will enable them navigate the complexities of the livestock value chain with greater confidence and success.

 

He said the training will not only provide valuable information but also foster networking among participants, allowing them to share experiences and establish connections that could lead to future collaborations.

 

He noted that as the livestock industry continues to evolve, initiatives like this training will play a crucial role in ensuring that stakeholders are well-prepared to meet new challenges and seize emerging opportunities in the market.

 

The training which took place at White Hill Hotel Gombe attracted participants from the eleven local Government areas of the state, mainly livestock producers, processors, transporters and marketers.