The Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Dr. Abubakar Adamu Dabban, has called for stronger ties between the Nigerian military and agricultural research institutions to secure the country’s food systems and boost innovation in farming.
Dr. Dabban made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the Chief of Defence Staff at Defence Headquarters, Abuja, on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
According to him, food security is inseparable from national security, and farmers cannot thrive without protection.
“A nation that cannot feed itself cannot fully secure itself. Our farmers, who are the backbone of food production, continue to face enormous challenges, especially threats to their safety. Your presence has brought relief to farmers and institutions working with them. For this, we say thank you for your service,” Dabban declared.
The ARCN boss outlined four key areas for partnership with the Armed Forces:
”Food and agricultural defense through joint research on disease detection, risk modeling, and surveillance.
”Technology collaboration, including adapting drones and satellite imaging for precision agriculture.
”Engineering support to develop local agricultural machinery.
”Human capital development, such as training, veteran farming programs, and agricultural outreach.
“These partnerships will build farmer confidence, strengthen uninterrupted production, boost food output, and reinforce national stability,” Dabban stressed.
Responding on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, Chairman of Defence Farms, Major General I.M. Abdullahi, lauded ARCN’s initiative and assured of the military’s readiness to deepen collaboration.
He recalled that the military had long been engaged in agriculture, citing the Army ranches established in 2017 and the Defence Food and Livestock Project launched in 2024.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria take food security seriously. Beyond protecting farmers, we are investing in agriculture to sustain the national grain reserve. We will continue to partner with ARCN to ensure the adoption of improved varieties and technologies that will benefit the Nigerian people,” Abdullahi stated.
He further disclosed that the Defence Headquarters had partnered with the Ministry of Water Resources to cultivate over 1,000 hectares of farmland, while also piloting peace initiatives in Gurara to address farmer-herder clashes.
Both sides agreed that the visit signals a fresh commitment to harnessing research, technology, and military capacity to safeguard Nigeria’s food supply and national resilience.
ARCN pushes for military alliance on food security, pledges tech-driven innovations
