The Taraba State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) has expressed confidence that competent contractors will emerge to execute key livestock infrastructure projects aimed at transforming the state’s livestock sector.
Bid Opening Ceremony in Jalingo
The State Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Hananiah G. Albert, made the assertion through the project’s ICT and Communications Officer, Ezra Artimas, during a bid opening ceremony held in Jalingo on Thursday. The projects slated for procurement include the construction of seven solar-powered boreholes with ancillary facilities in grazing reserves, three water-harvesting infrastructures in pastoralist communities, establishment of waste management systems, upgrading of feed mills, rehabilitation of model poultry farms, and construction of goat and sheep pens across Taraba state.
Call for Stakeholder Cooperation
Albert urged all stakeholders to cooperate with the Bid Opening Committee to ensure a smooth and successful procurement process, noting that the projects would have a significant impact on livestock production and the livelihoods of pastoralist communities. According to him, the projects are being implemented under the World Bank-assisted Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project and are designed to improve livestock productivity, strengthen value chains, enhance access to water resources, promote environmental sustainability, and improve the welfare of livestock farmers across the state.
He stressed that the bid opening exercise underscored the project’s commitment to transparency, fairness, competitiveness, and accountability in public procurement. “The process will be conducted strictly in accordance with applicable procurement guidelines, and every bid will be given equal consideration,” he assured participants.
Level Playing Field for Bidders
Also speaking at the event, the Director of the Livestock Development Commission, Buhari Dame, assured bidders that L-PRES would provide a level playing field for all participants throughout the procurement process. Some of the bidders who spoke with The Guardian commended the World Bank, Taraba State L-PRES, and the state government for conducting an open and transparent bidding exercise, describing the process as a positive step toward ensuring quality project delivery and accountability.
