Nigeria Aims to Slash $1.5 Billion Milk Import Bill with New National Dairy Policy
Source: The DairyNews
As the world celebrated this year's World Milk Day, Sabi Abdullahi, the Nigerian Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, announced that the implementation of the National Dairy Policy could potentially save Nigeria up to $1.5 billion annually on milk imports.
During a press briefing in Abuja, Abdullahi emphasized the government's commitment to fully activate the policy, aiming to revitalize the agricultural sector and address the pressing challenges within the dairy industry.
Abdullahi reported that Nigeria currently spends approximately $1.5 billion each year to import dairy products, driven by a significant production deficit. Domestic milk consumption stands at about 1.6 billion liters per annum, yet local production fails to meet nearly 60% of this demand. He underscored the severity of this issue in the context of nutritional deficiencies, noting that an estimated two million Nigerian children suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), exacerbated by inadequate access to animal-source foods such as milk.
The minister assured that the Federal Government is poised to tackle these challenges head-on. "The National Dairy Policy lays the groundwork for a transformative journey, aiming to overhaul and enhance Nigeria's dairy industry in the coming years," Abdullahi stated. With strategic stakeholder engagement and government support, this policy is expected to not only reduce the financial burden of imports but also improve the nutritional status of the population.
Abdullahi reported that Nigeria currently spends approximately $1.5 billion each year to import dairy products, driven by a significant production deficit. Domestic milk consumption stands at about 1.6 billion liters per annum, yet local production fails to meet nearly 60% of this demand. He underscored the severity of this issue in the context of nutritional deficiencies, noting that an estimated two million Nigerian children suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), exacerbated by inadequate access to animal-source foods such as milk.
The minister assured that the Federal Government is poised to tackle these challenges head-on. "The National Dairy Policy lays the groundwork for a transformative journey, aiming to overhaul and enhance Nigeria's dairy industry in the coming years," Abdullahi stated. With strategic stakeholder engagement and government support, this policy is expected to not only reduce the financial burden of imports but also improve the nutritional status of the population.
