Minister tasks stakeholders on solutions to accelerate dairy sector

Dr Mohammed Abubakar, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has called on experts to proffer solutions that will accelerate growth across the dairy value chain.

Abubakar made the call in a statement by Mrs Ore Famurewa, Director, Corporate Affairs, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, on Monday in Lagos.

The minister during the Friesland Campina WAMCO’s FDOV Technical Conference said that the solutions proffered by experts would transition the sector to a profitable economic one.

According to him, the ministry is determined to increase food security and employment in Nigeria, along commodity value chains.

“It is our goal to strengthen Nigeria’s self-sufficiency and we shall not relent in creating an enabling environment and partnerships to achieve this.

“I congratulate FrieslandCampina WAMCO on yet another milestone recorded in developing sustainable local sourcing of milk.

“Your company has continued to make steady progress in strengthening the dairy value chain in Nigeria with key investments that target local dairy communities.

“I am looking forward to seeing your organisation scale up the learnings from the Dairy4Growth Nigeria,” Abubakar said.

Mr Ben Langat, Managing Director, FrieslandCampina Sub-Saharan Africa Cluster, was quoted by the statement as saying that Dairy4Geowth Nigeria Project would transform the sector.

“As the Dairy4Growth Nigeria Project wraps up, we are proud to see that the innovations will not only continue in use, but also grow and be scaled up.

“We hope to inspire others to contribute to the sustainable development of the dairy sector, as the first multinational dairy company to champion backward integration in Nigeria.

Langat said that the project successfully introduced the Dairy Zone model, which was based on resource sharing, collaboration and exchanges.

“Farms naturally need time to develop and grow, but collaborative working and bulk purchasing help to foster collective action.

“These simple but meaningful arrangements combined with enhanced infrastructure, training and extension support as well as the introduction of feed and fodder production, have significantly contributed to increasing the production volume of quality milk,” he said.

The Dairy4Growth Nigeria Project is an international public-private partnership to build sustainable socio-economic structures.

It is funded by the Dutch Government with partnership from Royal FrieslandCampina, WAMCO Nigeria, International Fertilizer Development Centre, Wageningen University and Research, and Bles Dairies Consultancy.