Project Overview
Introduction
The EQUIP FEED Nigeria initiative is part of a regional effort to strengthen livestock feed systems across Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Burkina Faso. The initiative aims to transition from research-driven efforts to private sector-led implementation of proven feed interventions. In Nigeria, EQUIP FEED project is actively engaging with commercial farms and feed industry stakeholders to pilot, refine, and scale feed innovations that improve livestock productivity, support food security, and promote economic development. The project is currently in its planning phase, and planning strategies for scaling up feed innovations.
Faculty lead
- Dr. Adegbola Adesogan, University of Florida, Global Food Systems Institute (GFSI)
Goals and Objectives
Goal
To improve dairy and beef productivity and feed efficiency in Nigeria through the private sector-led implementation and scaling of validated feed innovations.
Objectives
- Identify and finalize private sector partners.
- Select priority interventions for commercial farm pilots.
- Conduct a 90-day feeding trial using corn silage-based diet as part of a total mixed ration on commercial farms.
- Evaluate feed intake, animal performance, and economic viability of feed interventions.
- Use a digital performance-tracking app to monitor farm-level outcomes (milk yield, weight gain, feed conversion).
- Develop tailored protocols based on local farm conditions.
- Build capacity and collaboration among farmers, feed producers, researchers, and policy stakeholders.
Background
In Nigeria, the EQUIP FEED project will build on previous research outcome which aimed at improving livestock productivity. EQUIP FEED project is piloting validated feed innovations on commercial farms in Kano, Oyo, and Ogun States, using tailored feeding protocols. The focus is on corn silage-based total mixed rations (TMR) to improve dairy and beef cattle productivity. Participating farms include L and Z Integrated Farms (Kano), Amo Byng Nigeria Ltd (Oyo), and Milkin Barn Agriserve Dairy Farms (Ogun). These project sites will be testing feed interventions using locally available resources and evaluating results under real-world conditions. At a strategic partners meeting held on June 17, 2025, researchers and stakeholders discussed how private sector leadership could modernize feed systems and improve productivity.
Top-ranked interventions selected by participants included:
- Corn silage production and feeding
- Sourcing and multiplication of forage seeds and cuttings
- Urea treatment of crop residues
- Establishment of feed and fodder cooperatives
- Measurement of animal weight gain and milk yield
- Digital performance tracking using mobile tools
Challenges discussed included absence of large scale silage production, lack of seperate pen houses in all the project sites, irrigation needs, agroecological suitability.
Research Approach
The research and implementation approach includes:
- Feeding Trials: Conduct A 90-day pilot on selected commercial farms, using corn silage as part of a TMR. The pilot will compare status quo diets with corn silage-based alternatives. Feed intake, weight gain, and milk yield are measured.
- Digital Monitoring: A mobile app will track key dairy performance indicators, including milk yield, heat stress, and reproduction.
- Sample Collection and Analysis: Regular sampling of forage, concentrate, and milk; analysis for nutrient content and quality (fat, protein, lactose).
- Tailored Protocols: Tailored protocols for each farm, incorporating local feed resources and management practices. This will be informed based on the questionnaire data and technical assessments.
- Data Monitoring: Outcomes recorded daily or weekly; analyzed statistically to determine intervention efficacy.
- Technical Collaboration: A corn planting protocol, developed with the University of Florida agronomists, will guide implementation.
- Stakeholder Engagement: An August 2025 workshop will engage government officials, banks, and cooperatives to align support for scaling the interventions.
- Showcasing Success: The experience of Anan Agro—a business managing 300 hectares of maize silage and influencing local farmers through social media—will be used as a model for impact.