As part of efforts to address long standing challenges in feed availability, pasture development and water access for livestock research and production, the Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, has commissioned new pasture seed processing, hay storage and water facilities at the National Animal Production Research Institute NAPRI, Shika Zaria in Kaduna State.
The facilities were inaugurated on Wednesday, 21 January 2026, under the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (LPRES), a flagship intervention aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda to reposition Nigeria’s livestock sector for higher productivity, resilience and improved food security.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, the Minister described the newly installed infrastructure as critical investments aimed at strengthening livestock research and production systems.
According to him, persistent constraints in feed supply and pasture development have continued to limit growth in the sector, and the new facilities are designed to enable NAPRI deliver practical and farmer focused solutions.
Maiha explained that the infrastructure includes a hay barn with a storage capacity of 500 tonnes per annum, a pasture seed processing unit capable of handling 10 tonnes per hour, and a pasture seed drying shade with an annual capacity of 20 tonnes.
Also commissioned were four solar powered boreholes fitted with drinking troughs within the NAPRI complex, as well as an additional solar powered borehole at one of the institute’s outstations in Yobe State.
He charged the institute to fully utilise the facilities to reinforce its mandate as a national hub for livestock research, innovation and technology transfer.
The Minister stressed that research outcomes must translate into measurable benefits for farmers, employment opportunities for young people and improved livelihoods across the country.
“Our priority is to build commercial and environmentally sustainable animal production systems that can compete and thrive. NAPRI has a responsibility to lead this process by ensuring that research outputs respond to market needs and real challenges faced by livestock producers,” he said.
The Minister also toured facilities at NAPRI and the Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology NILEST, where he emphasised the importance of stronger collaboration, private sector engagement and commercialisation of innovations across the livestock value chain.
Earlier, the National Project Coordinator of LPRES, Dr Sanusi Abubakar, noted that the commissioned facilities fall under the first component of the project, which focuses on strengthening institutions and innovation systems.
He said the intervention reflects a deliberate effort to equip strategic research institutions with modern infrastructure needed to support policy development and applied research.
Dr Abubakar revealed that further upgrades are ongoing at NAPRI, including enhancements to artificial insemination and embryo transfer facilities, dairy and poultry units, as well as indigenous sheep and goat projects.
He added that the World Bank has rated the project satisfactory, opening opportunities for additional funding and expanded activities.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Prof Adamu Ahmed, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to supporting the Minister’s vision, describing NAPRI as a key institution in national efforts to modernise livestock production, respond to climate related challenges and strengthen food systems.
Responding on behalf of the institute, the Acting Director of NAPRI, Prof Mohammed Rabiu Hassan, assured stakeholders that the facilities would be effectively deployed to advance research, innovation and dissemination of practical solutions that enhance livestock productivity and national food security.
Also speaking, the Director General of NILEST, Dr Auwal Mustapha Imam, said improved livestock breeds would enhance the quality and diversity of leather products in the country.
He outlined plans to increase production, protect innovations through patents and deepen partnerships with the private sector to drive commercialisation.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by senior government officials, including the Special Adviser to the President and Coordinator of the Presidential Livestock Reform Initiative, Prof Attahiru Jega, directors from the Ministry, university administrators, traditional rulers, academics and other stakeholders in the livestock sector.
