NAF, Livestock Ministry Explore Partnership for Food Security

The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development on Monday, 23rd February 2026, received a delegation from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), led by the Chief of Civil-Military Relations, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, on a courtesy and partnership visit to the Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, in Abuja.

Welcoming the delegation, the Minister described the Nigerian Air Force’s agricultural initiative as a strategic move that aligns with global best practices linking food production to national security and operational readiness.

“Everybody is a farmer,” the Minister stated. “The increasing participation of our Armed Forces in livestock development demonstrates a clear understanding that food security is national security.”

He stressed that sustainable food systems are critical to maintaining the welfare, health, and combat readiness of personnel, noting that modern threats extend beyond armed conflict to include both deliberate and accidental disruptions to food supplies.

"There is no way you can sustain combat readiness if the integrity of what your officers and men consume is uncertain. Food security is national security,” he noted. 

The Minister disclosed that the Ministry has inventoried 417 grazing reserves spanning approximately five million hectares nationwide and is implementing a structured settlement model aimed at boosting productivity, ensuring biosecurity compliance, and establishing internationally certified disease-free zones.

“Each grazing reserve will be developed as a disease-free zone and compartment. This is fundamental to accessing premium international markets for Nigerian red meat,” he added.

He further noted that Nigeria is positioning itself to tap into a growing multi-billion-dollar red meat market in the Gulf region, stressing that partnerships with institutions capable of providing structured security and surveillance would significantly enhance the country’s competitiveness.

He assured the delegation of the Ministry’s readiness to provide technical advisory services, capacity building, veterinary support, and policy integration to ensure that NAF’s agricultural initiatives align with national livestock development frameworks.

Earlier, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet commended the Federal Government for establishing the Ministry as part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's economic diversification agenda, and congratulated the Minister on his leadership of the sector.

He highlighted reforms under the Ministry, including expanded international engagements with Brazil and New Zealand in genetics and dairy production, strengthened vaccine regulation, establishment of National Livestock Centres, and sustained advocacy to increase the sector’s contribution to national GDP.

The Air Vice Marshal disclosed that the Nigerian Air Force had launched a 2,000-hectare farm initiative in 2021 and recently formalised Nigerian Air Force Farms and Agro-Allied Services Limited to scale livestock and crop production across designated locations. 

He sought the Ministry’s support in areas including training, improved breed access, veterinary services, and integration into national livestock programmes.

Also speaking, the Pioneer Managing Director of NAF Farms and Agro-Allied Services Limited, Air Vice Marshal Abdulrasheed Kotun, outlined plans for a pilot agricultural estate within Abuja featuring cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry production supported by advanced security infrastructure, including UAV surveillance and perimeter fortification systems.

The delegation from the Nigerian Air Force also presented the Minister with a selection of commemorative souvenirs, as a gesture of goodwill and mutual respect. Directors of the Ministry, Heads of Departments, and the Senior Special Assistant to the Honourable Minister were in attendance.

Ogochukwu Igboamalu
Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Information).
23rd February, 2026