Nigerian army to create cattle ranches to contribute to economy
- The Nigerian army will establish cattle ranches in almost all its divisions
- The army officials plan to adopt a system used in Argentina
- Women empowerment and contribution to the growth of the economy are also in priorities
The Nigerian army announced its plans to establish cattle ranches in its divisions.
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The news was made public by Major General Patrick Akem, the chief of army logistics, on Tuesday, December 20. at the Commissioning of Mogadishu Cantonment New Mammy Market (former Abacha Barracks) in Abuja.
In order to improve modern cattle rearing practice in Nigeria a group of officers were sent to Argentina to exchange experience, according to Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, the chief of army staff.
Buratai said: "Argentina has a population of 41 million people, but it feeds about 400 million people around the world with its beef.
To take it to the next level, we want to adopt a system where the cattle are not just free ranging coming from Sokoto to Port Harcourt, thereby making their meat tough to eat, the products will soon be coming from our own farms and ranches."
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He also stressed that the Barrack Investment Initiative was created as a platform to afford family members of soldiers to build fishing ponds, starts vegetable and frits gardens, raise livestock and chicken.
He added: "We want to tell our wives that they can live beyond the salaries of their husbands, so we are trying to empower the women in the barracks to be able to form co-operatives, so as to access loans and to a large extent be able to fend for themselves and their families, even without the salaries of their husbands."
The chief of army staff noted that the army intends not only to secure the country but to contribute to the economy of Nigeria.
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