Minister of Livestock Development Chairs Expert Forum at Vanguard Economic Summit

The Honorable Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, is set to lead the panel discussion session at the 2026 edition of the Vanguard Economic Discourse, which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

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This year's event will be held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, starting at 9am, and will focus on the theme of Food Security and Socio-economic Stability: Options for Nigeria’s Agriculture Sector Rebound.

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As the Lead Panelist, Minister Maiha will engage with key stakeholders from the public and private sector agro-food industry on developments in Nigeria's livestock segments.

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The event will be chaired by the Honorable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, while Dr. Hussein Gadain, ECOWAS/Nigeria Resident Representative of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation, will deliver the keynote address.

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A distinguished group of stakeholders from Nigeria's agriculture and food value chain, including representatives from public and private sectors as well as international organizations, have been assembled as panelists.

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The panel session will feature prominent figures such as Mrs Dede Ekoue, Country Director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development in Nigeria, and Dr. Mrs Moji Davids, Managing Director of Xtralarge Farms & Resorts.

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Other panelists include Mohammed Magaji, President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, and Arc. Kabir Ibrahim, President of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group, as well as representatives from financial institutions with Agric Desks of Commercial Banks.

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Minister Maiha is a seasoned public sector executive who began his career as a lecturer at the Department of Arts and Social Science, College of Preliminary Studies, Yola, Gongola State in 1982, before joining the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in 1992.

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He had a notable career at the NNPC, rising through the ranks to become the Executive Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company from 2011 to 2016, and later Managing Director from 2016 to 2017, before retiring to pursue his passion for livestock development.

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Minister Maiha is credited with transforming Zaidi Farms Limited, which he owns, into a successful and sustainable livestock management operation with over 250 exotic cattle breeds and a 19-year legacy of profitable and safe practices.

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The farm, which showcases modern technologies to improve genetic diversity of exotic cattle breeds, also features an orchard of 3000 assorted fruit trees, free-range pasture chickens, tilapia fish ponds, and an apiary.

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Minister Maiha was also a member of the Kaduna State Steering Committee of the Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support Project, a World Bank-assisted project, from 2018 to 2023.

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The Vanguard Economic Summit has established itself as a major public-private sector platform for reviewing and sharing economic development ideas over the past eight years, attracting Nigeria's public and private sector leaders.