Nigeria identifies livestock feed production as key to sustain dairy sector

NIGERIA – The Kaduna State Government has identified year-round production of quality livestock feed as a key strategy to sustain gains in the state’s dairy sector under the five-year Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria (ALDDN) programme.

The government noted that the five-year programme, funded by the Gates Foundation and implemented by Sahel Consulting in partnership with state governments and dairy processors, was designed to promote a vibrant and inclusive local dairy sector

This would ensure continuity beyond the programme’s close-out, with improved pasture development and the revitalisation of grazing reserves expected to strengthen feed availability for livestock producers.

The Managing Director, Kaduna Ranch Development Company Ltd., Dr Ibrahim Yusuf noted that the company was already incorporating lessons from the programme into the state’s sustainability framework, particularly in livestock feed production and dairy productivity.

Yusuf identified the availability of quality feed throughout the year as a major constraint to livestock production, noting that ALDDN had introduced interventions to address the challenge.

He said the state would build on those interventions by revitalising grazing reserves and improving pasture development.

He added that the Kaduna Ranch Development Company was currently developing 110 hectares of the 600-hectare Damau grazing reserve in Kubau Local Government Area to produce high-quality livestock feed.

“Of the 600 hectares grazing reserve, the company has started working on 110 hectares for the production of high-quality feeds for livestock in the state,” he said.

The initiative formed part of the state’s sustainability framework alongside collaboration with stakeholders, including the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) and the National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI).

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Murtala Mohammed-Dabo, was represented by the Director of Livestock Services, Mr Amwe Akos.

He said the state government would sustain the key gains recorded under ALDDN by integrating successful interventions into existing and future livestock development programmes.

Akos disclosed that some of the initiatives had already been captured in the state’s proposed 2027 budget, signalling the government’s intention to continue supporting interventions that have strengthened the local dairy sector.

To receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa, the Middle East and around the world, SUBSCRIBE HERE.