The Kogi State Ministry of Livestock Development has dismissed reports circulating in parts of Yagba West local government suggesting that the state government is reopening the previously banned Kara livestock market in Egbe, describing the claims as false and capable of stirring needless panic among residents.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Livestock Development, Dr Olufemi Bolarin, the ministry clarified that the ongoing intervention in Egbe is unconnected to the banned cattle market, and is instead part of a World Bank-supported scheme — the Kogi Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project — aimed at rehabilitating livestock markets across the state.
According to the statement, the project was conceived in early 2024, well before the recent surge in kidnapping and security concerns in parts of Kogi and the wider country, and should not be mistaken for a security-related decision.
The ministry noted that similar rehabilitation works are underway in eight other locations spanning all nine federal constituencies of the state, including Okumi in Lokoja, Ero in Ajaokuta, Ejule in Ofu, Ankpa, Kabba, Sheria in Bassa, Okene, and Osa/Gada in Adavi Local Government Area. For Yagba Federal Constituency, the project is being sited within the Egbe Central Market to allow for closer community supervision and monitoring.
The Commissioner explained that the rehabilitation followed two stakeholders’ engagement sessions held with community leaders and other critical stakeholders in Egbe prior to the project’s commencement, resulting in documented agreements between the L-PRES Project and the host community.
Key among the resolutions, the ministry said, is that the rehabilitated market will be limited to the sale of goats, sheep, pigs, rabbits, poultry, dogs and other small and medium livestock, while cattle trading remains strictly excluded. It was also agreed that no permanent structures — such as kiosks, containers, sheds or buildings — would be permitted within or around the market premises, in order to preserve its integrity and ease management.
Crucially, the statement said control of the market’s administration would remain entirely with the host community, through traditional institutions and a market management committee made up solely of indigenes, to guarantee local ownership and transparency.
The ministry maintained that the project’s community-driven design, including its grassroots consultations, sets it apart from being a top-down government imposition, and urged traditional rulers, opinion leaders, youth groups, and market associations in Yagba to disregard the misinformation.
It added that livestock markets generally support farmers, traders, transporters, butchers and veterinary workers, while boosting local revenue and employment, particularly for youths and women.
The statement quoted Dr Bolarin as saying the Kogi State Government, under Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, remains committed to both the security of lives and property and to economic initiatives that improve citizens’ welfare.
The ministry called on residents of Egbe and the entire Yagba Federal Constituency to support the project, warning that resistance driven by misinformation could cost the area future development opportunities.
