Livestock Ministry, Military Partner for National Food Security

News in Brief:

-Livestock Ministry to conduct joint assessments of military farm formations to scale up livestock production.

-Integrated grazing reserve model in Plateau State to support modern ranching and rural economic growth.

The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD) has pledged collaboration with the Nigerian Armed Forces to expand large-scale livestock production, strengthen food security and stimulate rural economic growth nationwide.

Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, disclosed this in Abuja while receiving a delegation from Defence Holding Company Limited. He said the partnership would begin with joint technical assessments of military farm formations across the country to evaluate existing livestock operations, identify capacity gaps and deploy targeted government support to enhance productivity and self-sufficiency within military establishments.

“We will visit your farm formations, assess what is on the ground and work with you to close the gaps. Our goal is to ensure proper standards, align with national food security objectives, and enable the Armed Forces progressively produce their own food while contributing to national supply,” the minister said.

Maiha noted that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s priorities of food sovereignty, job creation and community stabilisation.

Integrated Grazing Reserve Model

The minister further revealed that the ministry has developed an integrated grazing reserve model, beginning with Wase in Plateau State.

This model features internal road networks, residential settlements, schools, veterinary clinics, dams and designated crop and pasture production zones to support modern ranching systems.

Earlier, the Group Managing Director of Defence Holding Company Limited, Air Vice Marshal Anthony Ndace, stated the organisation oversees the commercial and agricultural ventures of the Armed Forces.

He explained that the Armed Forces are expanding non-kinetic interventions such as livestock farming to promote food security, reduce insecurity and support community reintegration.

Ndace requested technical collaboration from the ministry for the development of approximately 1,000 hectares of livestock and agricultural facilities in Wase, Plateau State.

The partnership is expected to establish a replicable model integrating security institutions into national agricultural production and rural development frameworks.