Nigeria targets US$70B livestock economy to reduce dairy imports

NIGERIA – The Kwara State Government has unveiled a livestock industrialisation plan aimed at transforming Nigeria’s animal production sector into a projected US$70 billion economy while reducing the country’s dependence on imported dairy products valued at more than US$1.5 billion annually.

The Commissioner for Livestock Development, Oloruntoyosi Thomas, has described livestock as a strategic sector capable of stimulating economic growth, creating jobs and driving industrial development across Nigeria.

She explained that the state government was repositioning livestock production from traditional subsistence practices to a modern commercial and industrial system designed to attract investment and improve productivity.

According to Oloruntoyosi, the livestock reform agenda aligns with the economic and agricultural policies of Bola Tinubuand AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

The commissioner expressed concern about Nigeria’s widening dairy gap, noting that local milk production, estimated at about 600,000 metric tons annually, falls well short of national demand of 1.7 million metric tons.

She said the heavy reliance on imported dairy products weakens the economy, depletes foreign reserves and limits the growth of local industries.

Kwara State is targeting the production of 100,000 metric tons of milk with an estimated economic value of US$150 million within its livestock ecosystem.

The state’s Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone is being developed into a modern agricultural and industrial hub capable of supporting large-scale livestock production and processing.

 The facility will include infrastructure such as roads, electricity, water supply, cold storage systems, abattoirs, veterinary clinics and quarantine centres to support the sector.

The processing zone will also promote value addition through the production of dairy products including butter, cheese, yoghurt, ice cream and powdered milk.

The commissioner noted that Nigeria imported butter worth about US$310 million in 2023, stressing that capturing even 10 per cent of that market could generate more than US$31 million for Kwara’s economy.

She further revealed that multinational companies such as Danone, Fan Milk and FrieslandCampina already operate milk collection systems capable of absorbing increased local milk production.

The move comes after the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development trained 100 dairy farmers as part of efforts to reform and strengthen Nigeria’s livestock sector.

The program, organized by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development in Ibadan, focused on modern dairy farming techniques, sustainable milk production, improved animal husbandry, and efficient milk handling and processing.

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