Nigeria to invest in local dairy initiatives to boost production

NIGERIA – The Federal Government of Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to dairy development programmes in the country to promote local milk production and reduce importation.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar, stated this when a delegation from the French Development Agency (AFD), led by its Country Director, Xavier Muron and Members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) visited the Minister in Abuja.

The Minister explained that the dairy development programme will be private sector-driven, adding that it is one of the pillars of the Nigeria Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS), a guiding document for the Ministry’s operations.

He identified several challenges in local dairy production, including collection and storage facilities, transportation costs, and logistics, among others.

Maiha also disclosed that some state governments have already keyed into the transformation plan of the livestock sector in Nigeria, by providing land, a key factor of production required in livestock development.

He emphasised the need for pastoralists to patronise grazing reserves, where arrangements are being made for breed improvement, disease management, and pasture cultivation so as to avoid the movement of animals from one place to another in order to minimise farmer/herder clashes.

Muron stated that the agency is actively implementing dairy value chain and pasture development programmes across West African countries in collaboration with ECOWAS.

 “Our objectives are to support local milk production, plans to reduce importation, as well as encourage backwards integration in all West African Countries.”

He disclosed that the Agency is making arrangements to support local milk producers in the country through grants.

Nigeria unveils initiative to enhance dairy value chain

Last year, Kaduna State in Nigeria set a target to assist over 1,000 households in improving milk production and value addition, according to Mrs. Patience Fakai, Kaduna State Commissioner for Business Innovation and Technology.

Speaking at the “Dairy Value Chain Forum and Responsible Business Conduct” workshop in Abuja, Mrs. Fakai noted the government’s vision to boosting the living standards by enhancing dairy production, especially in a region that is home to two of Nigeria’s major dairy stakeholders.

The announcement was made alongside the unveiling of a new comprehensive dairy training manual, which is designed to address the knowledge gap in the sector and introduce more sustainable farming practices.

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