NAPRI's Livestock Productivity Facilities Gets Boost ..... As Minister Commissions New Pasture Seed Processing, Hay Storage and Water Facilities
"Feed and pasture development remain critical to improving livestock productivity in Nigeria. These facilities are meant to support NAPRI to deliver practical, demand-driven solutions that will strengthen animal production systems and enhance food security." Mukhtar.
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha on Wednesday, 21 January 2026, commissioned the new pasture seed processing, hay storage and water facilities at the National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI), Shika-Zaria, Kaduna State.
This, according to a statement issued and signed by Oghenekevwe Uchechukwu, Head, Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, is part of ongoing efforts to reposition Nigeria’s livestock sector for productivity, resilience and food security.
The Minister, while speaking at the event, said the interventions were provided through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) in line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He described the facilities as strategic investments designed to address long-standing challenges in feed availability, pasture development and water access for livestock research and production.
“Feed and pasture development remain critical to improving livestock productivity in Nigeria. These facilities are meant to support NAPRI to deliver practical, demand-driven solutions that will strengthen animal production systems and enhance food security,” he said.
The commissioned infrastructure includes a 500-tonnes-per-annum hay barn, a single-line pasture seed processing unit with a capacity of 10 tonnes per hour, a 20-tonnes-per-annum pasture seed drying shade, and four solar-powered boreholes with drinking troughs within NAPRI, alongside an additional solar-powered borehole at one of the Institute’s outstations in Yobe State.
“NAPRI must continue to lead in developing and disseminating innovations that support commercial, competitive and environmentally friendly animal production systems. Our focus is to ensure that research outcomes translate into real value for farmers, jobs for our youth, and improved livelihoods for Nigerians,” he stated.
The Minister, who also toured facilities at NAPRI and the Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST), stressed the need for market-driven research, stronger partnerships and commercialisation of innovations to unlock the full potential of the livestock value chain.
Earlier, the National Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Dr. Sanusi Abubakar, explained that the interventions fall under Component One of the project, which focuses on institutional and innovation system strengthening.
“These facilities are part of our commitment to building the capacity of key institutions like NAPRI to support research, policy formulation and practical solutions for livestock development,” he said.
Dr. Abubakar disclosed that additional upgrades are underway at NAPRI, including improvements to artificial insemination and embryo transfer facilities, dairy and poultry units, and indigenous sheep and goat projects. He added that the World Bank has rated the project satisfactory, with prospects for additional financing and expanded interventions.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, pledged the University’s support for the Minister’s vision, noting that NAPRI remains central to national efforts to modernise livestock production, address climate challenges and strengthen food systems.
Similarly, in response to the Minister’s charge, the Acting Director of NAPRI, Prof. Mohammed Rabiu Hassan, expressed full commitment to ensuring that the facilities are optimally utilised for research, innovation, and dissemination of practical solutions that enhance livestock productivity and national food security.
The Director General of NILEST, Dr. Auwal Mustapha Imam, highlighted plans to scale up production in view of the potential variety and quality of leather from the improved breeds of livestock, while emphasising efforts to patent innovations and promote commercialisation through strategic private sector partnerships.
The event attracted senior government officials, including the Special Adviser to the President and Coordinator of the Presidential Livestock Reform Initiative, Prof. Attahiru Jega, Directors of the Ministry, university management, traditional rulers, members of the academic community and other key stakeholders.
More pictures at the event
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