Abuja: The Federal Government aims to shift from military equipment to agricultural tools, specifically replacing armoured tanks with tractors and machine guns with milking machines, to bolster food security. The Minister of Livestock Development, Dr. Abubakar Maiha, announced this initiative during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Counter Terrorism Centre - Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA) and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, this initiative focuses on modernising the livestock sector and increasing food production through technology and precision farming. Dr. Maiha stated that the collaboration between NCTC and IITA is a framework aimed at integrating ex-combatants into society, supporting President Bola Tinubu's agenda on food security. He emphasized that engaging individuals in productive activities would deter them from being recruited into violent crimes.
"This is what we are looking at, and our vision today in the country is to make Nigeria's countryside a symbol of progress," Dr. Maiha expressed. "We aim to replace armoured tanks with tractors and machine guns with milking machines, as they have no place in our countryside. This is the ministry's direction, and we will work with NCTC-ONSA and other MDAs to empower women and youths."
In her remarks, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Iman Suleiman-Ibrahim, praised the partnership between NCTC and IITA for advancing Nigeria's peace and security through inclusive and sustainable methods. She noted that the agro-business initiative, alongside the empowerment project, is crucial for addressing the root causes of violent extremism, especially among vulnerable populations, including women, youths, and at-risk families. She stressed the importance of empowering women and marginalized groups for sustainable peace and development.
Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, highlighted the need for government support at all levels for the initiative's success. He pointed out that the North Central region faces security challenges affecting agriculture and human development. He emphasized that a kinetic approach alone is insufficient to address these challenges and that the MoU's focus on food security and agricultural development is crucial for a sustainable solution.
Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Malam Bukarti Tijani, mentioned that Borno has over 200,000 repentant terrorist combatants. He stressed the importance of the MoU in implementing non-kinetic approaches to encourage more terrorists to surrender voluntarily. This approach aims to ensure that resettled communities have agricultural livelihoods as peace returns to the region. "State governments in the Northeast are managing their finances to support resettlement and livelihoods," he added.