FG, Nestlé sign MoU to establish dairy skills centre in Abuja

The Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Nestlé Nigeria Plc for the establishment of a Dairy Technical Skills Development Centre in the Federal Capital Territory, aimed at boosting dairy production in the country.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday, describing the partnership as a strategic intervention to address key challenges in Nigeria’s dairy industry.

Maiha said the initiative is designed to tackle the country’s technical capacity gap and improve practical farm management skills, noting that the dairy sector has continued to underperform despite its vast potential.

He explained that Nigeria’s traditional pastoral system currently yields an average of one to two litres of milk per cow daily, attributing the low productivity to poor husbandry practices, inadequate feed, lack of clean water, climate change and limited expertise in areas such as artificial insemination and herd health management.

“The reality is that our traditional pastoral systems currently yield an average of merely one to two litres of milk per cow daily. This low productivity is directly linked to a systematic deficit in modern husbandry practices, inadequate feed formulation and lack of clean portable water, as well as the impact of climate change and lack of proficiency in essential areas such as artificial insemination, herd health management and milk hygiene,” he said.

The minister added that the cumulative impact of these challenges has resulted in Nigeria spending about $1.5bn annually on dairy imports, stressing the need for urgent reforms in the sector.

According to him, the proposed centre will serve as a practical knowledge hub to transition dairy farming from traditional methods to modern, globally competitive practices, with a curriculum combining 70 per cent practical training and 30 per cent theoretical instruction.

Speaking on behalf of Nestlé Nigeria, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Wassim Elhusseini, said the agreement aligns with national development goals and will strengthen productivity and quality in the dairy sector, while stakeholders described the initiative as a boost to capacity building and sustainable growth.