NCSP, BORBDA Forge Nigeria-China Partnership to Boost Food Security and Livestock Feed Production

NCSP, BORBDA Forge Nigeria-China Partnership to Boost Food Security and Livestock Feed Production

Abuja, Nigeria – August 1, 2025

The Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP) has initiated a strategic collaboration with the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority (BORBDA) aimed at strengthening food security and addressing livestock feed shortages in Nigeria through sustainable agricultural development.

During a high-level meeting held at NCSP’s headquarters in Abuja, senior officials from both organisations discussed plans to advance agro-industrial initiatives under existing China-Nigeria bilateral frameworks, particularly those aligned with the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and Nigeria’s economic diversification strategy.

Welcoming the BORBDA delegation, NCSP Director General, Mr. Joseph Tegbe, emphasized the agency’s mandate to coordinate over 55 China-Nigeria bilateral agreements across key sectors including agriculture, infrastructure, education, and healthcare. He noted a strategic shift from transactional engagements to integrated, long-term partnerships capable of unlocking deeper value for Nigeria.

“Our approach is to transform China-Nigeria cooperation into development-driven projects that deliver real impact. Agriculture is a top priority, and we see this collaboration with BORBDA as an opportunity to demonstrate that,” Tegbe said.

In his remarks, BORBDA Managing Director, Dr. Olufemi Samuel Adekanmbi, commended NCSP’s proactive leadership and highlighted Nigeria’s urgent need for sustainable livestock feed solutions. He unveiled the agency’s flagship National Feed Development Initiative, which proposes the establishment of feed production hubs in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

The initiative will combine innovative feed ingredients such as Juncao grass, soybean meal, and black soldier fly larvae to create affordable and nutritious livestock feed. Dr. Adekanmbi said the project is designed to improve food security, generate employment — particularly for youth through collaboration with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) — and reduce herder-farmer conflicts.

“With BORBDA’s existing land and irrigation infrastructure, we are ready to roll out. We seek NCSP’s support in engaging Chinese investors and technical partners to bring this vision to life,” he said.

Both parties expressed optimism about the partnership's potential to deliver transformative results. NCSP reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating foreign investment, mobilising relevant Chinese agencies, and ensuring alignment with national development goals.

This engagement marks a significant step toward operationalising China-Nigeria cooperation into tangible projects that contribute to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the broader goals of national food and economic security.