Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya led a high level delegation that signed a formal cooperation agreement with the Livestock Innovation Corporation, a farmer owned New Zealand company with a long track record in genetics, farm software and advisory services. The memorandum maps out a partnership that blends practical technology with research and capacity building to help Gombe’s herders and ranchers lift productivity and resilience.
This is not a symbolic visit. The agreement followed a two day technical working engagement at LIC’s innovation facilities in Hamilton where the delegation met scientists, toured labs and discussed how New Zealand tools might be adapted to Gombe’s landscapes and climate. That hands on exchange allowed both sides to move quickly from broad intent to concrete workstreams and timelines.
At its heart, the memorandum focuses on three measurable areas. First, it promotes digital livestock management systems so farmers and authorities can track herd performance and health in real time. Second, it supports sustainable and climate responsive production practices that help animals and ecosystems cope with changing weather patterns. Third, it opens the door to joint research on animal genetics and biotechnology, including assessment of dairy and beef genetic material developed in New Zealand that could be trialled for local suitability. These priorities aim to turn data and genetics into everyday tools for small and mid sized producers.
Governor Yahaya framed the pact as a practical addition to Gombe’s existing agricultural strategy. He described the agreement as a way of translating policy into sharper results on the ground, by improving herd management, raising yields and strengthening the state economy. The delegation’s visit, he said, was designed to learn what works overseas and then tailor it so local farmers can benefit without losing their knowledge or independence.
On the New Zealand side LIC’s team described the arrangement as a working partnership rather than a short term consultancy. LIC representatives said the goal is to deliver improved herd data systems, better advisory services and long term advisory partnerships that help producers measure and improve their productivity. LIC’s model is built around farmer ownership of data and technologies so improvements remain with local communities.
The federal government’s livestock reform agenda forms a broader backdrop to the state level pact. The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, attended the signing and reiterated that the partnership aligns with national efforts to modernise transport, tracking and market systems. Those federal reforms include plans introduced in October 2025 to standardise livestock transport using registered vehicles and a new digital tracking platform, part of a push to make animal movement safer, more hygienic and fully traceable. The convergence of state and federal actions increases the chance that pilots in Gombe will scale into national practice.
Why this matters for farmers and for local economies. Better genetics and data do not replace a farmer’s experience. They amplify it. When small holders can see which animals grow faster, which feeds deliver value and which breeding lines resist local disease and heat stress, they make choices that raise incomes. When transport and market systems are safer and traceable, buyers pay better prices and losses from spoilage and theft fall. For Gombe, a state with significant livestock and agro pastoral communities, these gains translate into steadier household earnings and more jobs across the value chain.
The memorandum also lays out plans for academic collaboration. Gombe State University is expected to partner on research projects that test genetics, evaluate feed regimes and explore biotechnology solutions adapted to Nigeria’s environment. Those research links help ensure innovations are evidence based and tested at a local level before wide adoption.
There are challenges ahead. Adapting technologies designed for temperate pastoral systems requires patient localisation, investment in extension services and training that reaches rural households. Digital platforms must be affordable and usable offline where mobile networks are weak. And any introduction of new genetics demands ethical, veterinary and community safeguards so improvements are sustainable and culturally acceptable.
Still, the tone from both sides was practical and forward looking. State and federal officials spoke of measurable targets, pilot projects and timelines. LIC emphasised capacity building and long term advisory relationships. Together those commitments point toward an implementation phase that could begin with pilot districts, roll out training for extension workers and set up data trials that prove the value of the approach.
If the pilots deliver, the ripple effects could be broad. Farmers could increase milk and beef yields, local processors could find steadier supplies, and a more reliable value chain would attract private investment. For Gombe, that would mean farm incomes and local employment begin to reflect livestock’s true potential as an engine of rural growth.
This agreement is more than a headline. It is an invitation to experiment, measure and scale what works for local farmers. For producers who want to benefit, the most important next steps are clear. Engage with extension officers, volunteer for pilot programmes, and treat data and genetics as tools to sharpen the skills you already have. The partnership is a start. The hard work of transformation will be done, day by day and herd by herd, by Gombe’s people.
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