By Abdulaziz Ibrahim Hassan
The Gombe State office of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) project has reaffirmed its readiness to collaborate with Youth O’clock Advancement Association Nigeria in promoting peace and preventing conflicts within the livestock sector, to drive inclusive growth across the state and beyond.
State Project Coordinator, Professor Usman Bello Abubakar, made this known while receiving a delegation from the organization on an advocacy visit.
He stressed that resolving farmers-herders conflicts remains a core focus of L-PRES, alongside addressing other triggers such as encroachment on grazing reserves, blocked cattle routes, and acute water scarcity.
Professor Abubakar noted that L-PRES has so far re-mapped and re-demarcated eight gazetted grazing reserves and 37 cattle routes, earning accolades from development partners, including the World Bank.
He also revealed that over 100 solar-powered boreholes have been constructed, while key earth dams have been designed to ease water access along grazing corridors, which reduce migratory clashes and retained pastoralists within the state.
He welcomed Youth O’clock Nigeria’s interest in partnership and directed relevant officers to work with the Association on a framework for joint interventions.
He added that the collaboration aligns with Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s vision for peace, sustainability, and inclusive governance.
Earlier, Gombe State Coordinator of Youth O’clock Nigeria, Comrade Abdulazeez Sani Labaran, said the visit is aimed to present the group’s peacebuilding and climate action vision.
He announced the 2025 flagship initiative to plant 4,500 trees across the three senatorial zones, starting from May, and disclosed plans for town hall meetings that will rally support for conflict resolution and amplify the government’s Peacebuilding efforts.
The youth leader appealed for L-PRES’s support, highlighting the project’s technical expertise and shared commitment to community resilience and environmental sustainability.
In a related development, the group visited the Executive Secretary of Gombe State Environmental Sanitation and Protection Agency (GOSEPA), Dr Auwal Baba Jada, where Comrade Labaran advocated for a review of existing environmental laws and urged the state government to boost the agency’s funding to strengthen its mandate of promoting environmental hygiene and ensuring public compliance with regulations.
He also sought GOSEPA’s collaboration on town hall meetings, environmental campaigns, and health-focused programs across the state.
In response, Dr Jada commended the organisation’s efforts and pledged GOSEPA’s support for initiatives that promote a cleaner, safer, and healthier Gombe.
