Prof. Adamu Ahmed, Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, says the Federal Government has committed N20 billion to strengthen agricultural research nationwide.
Ahmed disclosed this at the opening of the 2026 National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) Annual Research Review and Planning Meeting and Livestock Research Extension Farmers Input Linkage System (L-REFILLS) Workshop in Zaria on Tuesday.
He said the intervention, facilitated through the Bank of Agriculture and the Ministry of Education, would support about 30 institutions in strengthening agricultural research and promoting the practical application of research findings.
Ahmed, who said he was co-chairman of the implementation committee, urged NAPRI and other agricultural research institutions to translate scientific findings into practical solutions for farmers and livestock producers.
He described the revival of the annual research review and L-REFILLS workshop after 18 years as a significant institutional milestone, noting that the programme was last held in 2008.
According to him, the prolonged break had weakened communication among researchers, extension workers, agricultural input providers and livestock farmers, making the revived platform important for collaboration and effective technology transfer.
Ahmed identified climate change, the rising cost of quality animal feed, livestock security challenges and shortages of agricultural inputs as major constraints requiring innovative research and coordinated interventions.
He said ABU, through NAPRI, was ready to provide scientific and technological support to the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and states establishing similar ministries.
The vice-chancellor said national food security could not be achieved without a vibrant, technology-driven livestock value chain supported by effective research, extension services and accessible agricultural inputs.
He urged researchers to assess existing technologies against farmers’ practical challenges and encouraged extension agents to provide regular field feedback to guide research priorities and improve technology adoption.
Ahmed also urged farmers to participate actively in the workshop, communicate their needs and challenge existing scientific models to help researchers develop effective and sustainable livestock production solutions.
He assured participants that ABU would continue supporting the programme and work to make the annual research review and L-REFILLS workshop regular institutional activities.
Earlier, Idi Maiha, Minister of Livestock Development, said the Federal Government was committed to strengthening collaboration among researchers, extension workers, farmers and private-sector stakeholders to boost livestock productivity.
Maiha, represented by Nurudden Umar-Mohammed, Assistant Director of the ministry’s Kaduna Field Office, said L-REFILLS would bridge the gap between research and farmers by transferring proven technologies from laboratories and research stations to farms.
NAPRI Director Prof. Mohammed-Rabiu Hassan said the institute’s research innovations were improving livestock productivity, strengthening food security and creating economic opportunities.
Hassan said NAPRI had pioneered the genetic improvement of indigenous livestock, developed sustainable pasture-management protocols and formulated affordable feed alternatives to enhance animal production.
He cited the institute’s Shika Brown chicken, which produces between 280 and 300 eggs per year and has strong disease resistance, as one of its notable research outputs.
Other products and services include NAPRI yoghurt, pasture seeds, hay, live animals and beef, which, he said, reflected the institute’s efforts to translate research into practical livestock-production solutions.
Hassan said partnerships with government agencies, international research organisations, universities and private companies—strengthened through L-REFILLS—would accelerate technology transfer and improve connections between farmers and extension workers.
