News Investigators/ The Federal Government has expressed its commitment to boost the current 700 milion litres annual milk production to the 1.6 billion litres requirement of the country.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, gave the assurance at the on-going workshop on the “Final Review and Validation of Framework for the Implementation of the National Dairy Policy” on Wednesday in Abuja.
Mr Maiha said that the country had sufficient livestock resources to meet domestic milk demand if properly harnessed.
According to him, the nation’s dependence on imported dairy products is unsustainable and inconsistent with President Tinubu’s vision of economic diversification and self-reliance.
Mr Maiha identified some measures put in place towards stimulating local production by farmers and investors to include soft loans, tariff protection and the creation of dairy development hubs in key production zones across the country.
“There is therefore the need for urgent and coordinated efforts to transform Nigeria’s dairy industry and end the country’s 1.5 billion dollars annual dairy import bill,” he said.
Similarly, John Enoh, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, assured of the industry’s commitment to the National Dairy Policy as a driver of industrial growth, job creation and food security.
Mr Enoh, represented by Dr Adedeji Adeshile, his Senior Special Adviser on Policy and Governance, said that Nigeria’s dairy sector with over 20 million cattle produces only about 700 million litres of milk annually.
According to him, the figure is less than half of national demand estimated at 1.6 billion litres.
The minister described the supply gap as both a challenge and an opportunity.
Mr Enoh identified the framework being validated as a crucial step in ”operationalising” the National Dairy Policy.
“It aligns with government and private sector efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in milk production,” he said.
In the same vein, Prof. Attahiru Jega, Special Adviser and Coordinator, National Presidential Livestock Reforms Initiatives, said the framework was anchored on 11 strategic pillars of livestock development and aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Represented by Prof. Demo Kalla, Director, Dairy Research and Development Centre, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Jega said that the framework underscored the president’s commitment to reposition the livestock and dairy sectors.
He identified the sectors as key drivers of food security, job creation, and sustainable economic growth.
“The dairy industry is more than milk production; it represents nutrition, empowerment, and opportunities for farmers, women, and youth across the country,” he said.
NAN
