Bill Allowing Military Participation in Agriculture Passes Second Reading in House of Reps

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved the second reading of a bill designed to empower the Nigerian Armed Forces to engage in agriculture, aiming to bolster food security and promote economic diversification.

The bill, sponsored by Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos), seeks to establish “Armed Forces Farms and Ranches,” leveraging the military’s resources to boost agricultural production across the country. Benson, while leading the debate, emphasized that this initiative is in line with Nigeria’s broader economic diversification strategy, which aims to reduce the nation’s dependence on oil and address food security challenges. The bill builds on existing efforts, such as the Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Limited and the Command Agriculture Initiative.

Benson highlighted that the concept of military involvement in agriculture is not entirely new. Historically, military farms have been used to support personnel. The proposed scheme would expand these efforts by utilizing available arable land within military installations across Nigeria to grow crops suited to different climatic conditions.

The initiative also seeks to collaborate with relevant ministries and agencies to ensure the success of the program. It will employ integrated farming techniques that combine crop cultivation with livestock and fish farming, maximizing land use and improving biodiversity.

According to Benson, the project would help strengthen the country’s food supply chain while diversifying the economy, making agriculture a critical part of Nigeria’s future development.

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