Idi Mukhtar Maiha, minister of livestock development, has announced a strategic partnership between the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and the Nigerian Armed Forces to scale up livestock production, strengthen national food security, and stimulate rural economic growth.
He disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday during a meeting with a delegation from Defence Holding Company Limited, led by Anthony Ndace, the group managing director.
Maiha said the collaboration will commence with joint technical assessments of military farm formations across the country to evaluate existing livestock operations, identify gaps, and deploy targeted government support to improve productivity and self-sufficiency within military establishments.
He said the ministry would conduct on-site visits to assess current facilities and align interventions with national food security objectives, enabling the Armed Forces to progressively meet their food needs while contributing to national supply.
The minister said the initiative is in line with the Federal Government’s priorities on food sovereignty, job creation, and community stabilization.
He also disclosed that the ministry has developed an integrated grazing reserve model, starting in Wase, Plateau State, featuring internal road networks, residential settlements, schools, veterinary clinics, dams, and designated crop and pasture production zones to support modern ranching systems.
Earlier, Ndace said, Defence Holding Company Limited coordinates the commercial and agricultural ventures of the Armed Forces and is expanding non-kinetic interventions, including livestock farming, to enhance food security, reduce insecurity, and promote community reintegration.
He requested technical support from the ministry for the development of about 1,000 hectares of livestock and agricultural facilities in Wase, Plateau State.
The partnership is expected to establish a replicable framework for integrating security institutions into national agricultural production and rural development efforts.
