Nigeria targets doubling local milk production amid nutrition crisis
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, has identified increased local milk production as essential to improving Nigeria’s nutrition and public health. Speaking at the World Milk Day celebration in Abuja, he emphasized that milk is one of the most affordable and vital sources of nutrition, especially for children. However, he warned that Nigeria’s current production and consumption levels remain critically low.
According to Maiha, the World Health Organisation recommends 210 litres of milk per person annually, but Nigeria averages only 8.7 litres per person. “That’s barely enough for tea throughout the rainy season,” he remarked. He stressed that addressing the milk supply deficit is not merely a food issue but a critical factor in human development, particularly for vulnerable groups like children and mothers.
Nigeria consumes about 1.6 million metric tonnes of milk annually but produces only 700,000 metric tonnes locally. The remaining demand is met through imports, which cost the country over $1.5 billion each year. To tackle this, Maiha said the Ministry is implementing strategic reforms under the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS) and other dairy-centred policies aimed at reversing the trend.
The Ministry of Livestock Development, established in July 2024 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is already taking steps to improve breed quality, expand fodder production, and revamp grazing reserves. These efforts are designed to enhance dairy yields nationwide. Maiha also mentioned progress on a National Dairy Policy and the development of a 15-year Livestock Master Plan with phased investment goals.
In collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Ministry has validated a National Strategy on Animal Genetic Resources. Additional initiatives include boosting vaccine production, which is critical to livestock health and increased dairy output. Maiha reaffirmed the government’s target to double local milk production to 1.4 million metric tonnes annually within five years.
Nestlé Nigeria has emerged as a key partner in the country’s dairy transformation drive. Managing Director Wassim Elhusseini highlighted the company’s efforts since launching its dairy development project in 2019. These include establishing 83 dairy cooperatives with over 3,000 producers, training 2,000 farmers, and aggregating more than one million litres of raw milk.
Nestlé has also vaccinated over 36,000 cattle and constructed 19 boreholes and 28 water troughs to improve access to clean water. At its Dairy Demonstration Farm, milk yields have risen from one litre per cow to over 10 litres due to improved farm management practices. Elhusseini described the partnership with the Ministry as pivotal in building sustainable local dairy capacity.
Ambassador Gautier Mignot, head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria, reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s dairy sector through the Global Gateway Strategy. This strategy backs climate-smart agriculture and food system transformation. Mignot praised the creation of the Livestock Development Ministry and referenced EU-supported projects in Benue, Taraba, and Adamawa that integrate pastoralist support, climate resilience, and peacebuilding into dairy development.
