The Kwara State Ministry of Livestock Development has launched the Women and Youth Livestock Clubs under the Kwara Livestock Entrepreneurship Scheme (KWALES), aimed at creating jobs, promoting sustainable livestock enterprises, and empowering youths and women across the state.
The inauguration ceremony, held at the Ministry on Friday, was led by the Commissioner for Livestock Development, Hon. Oloruntoyosi Ayobola Thomas, alongside the Commissioner for Youth Development, Hon. Ndanusa Usman. The event highlighted livestock enterprise as a key driver of economic prosperity and food security for the people of Kwara State.
Hon. Oloruntoyosi Thomas explained that KWALES is a business development and acceleration programme designed to deliver practical tools and rapid results for participants rather than offering conventional training alone. She said the initiative is structured to support young people and women in building viable and profitable livestock enterprises within a short period.
According to her, the programme aligns with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s vision of promoting youth empowerment, economic growth, and sustainable development in the livestock sector. She added that KWALES is built on enterprise-focused components that will directly impact participants and communities across the state.
She outlined the components, saying, “The programme aims at creating sustainable employment opportunities for at least 100 youths and women every month. It will also provide targeted coaching to enable access to funding from key sources, including the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, the Bank of Industry (BOI), the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF), development partners, and the private sector.”
She further explained that KWALES will “facilitate market linkages to ensure business sustainability, mentor university students to establish registered livestock businesses before graduation, and appoint KWALES Ambassadors across institutions and communities to drive peer learning, advocacy, and wider participation in the programme.”
Hon. Thomas also announced a major innovation introduced under KWALES through a partnership with the AdunGreen Foundation. “As part of its innovation drive, the initiative introduced Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming as its flagship feature, a climate-smart approach that converts organic waste into affordable, high-quality protein feed for livestock,” she said. “This innovation reduces feed costs, promotes large-scale waste recycling, and strengthens local feed production.”
She emphasized that KWALES embodies Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s vision of positioning livestock as a driver of job creation, environmental sustainability, and inclusive economic growth for youths, women, and persons living with disabilities in Kwara State.
The Commissioner for Youth Development, Hon. Shehu Ndanusa Usman, praised the initiative, describing it as “a strategic platform for empowering youths and nurturing enterprise-driven leaders capable of strengthening Kwara State’s agricultural and livestock value chains.”
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Yahaya Mohammed, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to inclusive empowerment through programmes like KWALES. Representatives of the AdunGreen Foundation, Dr. Bola Yusuf and Mr. Olaribigbe Tajudeen, described the initiative as a practical model for sustainable, youth-led livestock development.
Both Commissioners later visited the KWALES Black Soldier Fly (BSF) Hub at the Technology Incubation Centre behind the Ministry’s premises to observe the innovation in operation.
