- The MoU between the Ministry of Livestock Development and REA will deploy solar-powered grids across Nigeria’s 417 grazing reserves.
- The initiative will establish model villages with clinics, schools, boreholes, and roads to strengthen food security, reduce herder-farmer conflicts, and create jobs.
The Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to modernise Nigeria’s livestock sector through renewable energy deployment.
At the signing ceremony, the Minister of Livestock Development, Hon. Idi Mukhtar Maiha, described the partnership as a milestone that will advance sustainable livestock production and improve the livelihoods of pastoral communities.
Maiha said the initiative will deploy solar-powered grids across rehabilitated and resettled grazing reserves, unlocking the potential of Nigeria’s 417 reserves, long hampered by poor infrastructure. The renewable energy intervention, he explained, will power irrigation systems for year-round fodder production, improve water availability for livestock, and enhance herd quality.
Furthermore, the minister added that the solar grids would also bring electricity to pastoral settlements, strengthen security, expand access to education and healthcare, and create new economic opportunities.
“The provision of clean, renewable energy will have a transformative impact. It will not only strengthen food security but also stimulate local economies by generating jobs in installing and maintaining solar systems,” he said.
Meanwhile, livestock model villages will feature veterinary clinics, healthcare centres, schools, solar-powered boreholes, pasture cultivation facilities, and internal road networks under the plan.
Maiha stressed that the partnership aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda by addressing long-standing challenges in the livestock sector with innovative, integrated solutions. He noted that the project would also help reduce herder–farmer conflicts by improving resource availability and fostering peaceful coexistence.
“With this partnership, we are laying the foundation for a more secure, productive, and prosperous future for our livestock sector and millions of Nigerians who depend on it,” the minister affirmed.