$1.5bn Annual Spending On Milk Importation Unsustainable— Agric Minister

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar on Wednesday said the $1.5bn annual spending on milk importation by Nigerians is unsustainable and should be discouraged.

Abubakar made this known at the 2022 World Milk Day Conference organized by the Commercial Dairy Ranchers Association of Nigeria, themed “Catalyzing a Milk Revolution in Nigeria through Strategic Investment in Dairy Development.”

He said the theme for this year’s conference aligns seamlessly with the economic diversification and sustainability focus of the government.

He told the gathering that the annual conference will help to ensure that the very critical and strategic dairy sector remains in the forefront of national economic discourse.

He said, “In fulfilling government pivotal roles of creating an enabling environment for business activities to thrive, FMARD in collaboration with other critical stakeholders in the dairy sector, has formulated a National Dairy Policy to effectively regulate and guide activities within the dairy sector.

“The draft policy is awaiting key approvals and will soon become operational. The federal government will continue to propose and implement holistic solutions to decades-old problems in the Nigerian livestock and dairy sectors and position it for global competitiveness.

“The unsustainable annual spending of an estimated $1.5bn of the country’s scarce foreign exchange, to import milk and dairy products as disclosed by the central bank of Nigeria, should be discouraged.”

Abubakar said the government recognizes the significance of the dairy sector in Nigeria as a platform for sustainable economic development and has made it a priority sector in its economic development plan.

Abubakar said, “This conference seeks a roadmap for catalyzing a milk revolution in Nigeria’s revolution that should grow Nigeria’s local milk production volumes way beyond what is required within the local economy to the extent that Nigeria becomes a net exporter of milk and dairy products.

“I wish to reassure you of the willingness of the federal government to continue its collaboration with private sector stakeholders to achieve inclusive Iivestock transformation in Nigeria as you participate actively in the conference.

“I implore you to adhere to global best practices in production processing and marketing of milk and dairy products so that Nigerians will continually have access to wholesome products.”

Abubakar said the ministry is working assiduously to create a robust, vibrant and competitive livestock and dairy sector capable of meeting the demand for dairy products, creating jobs, ensuring optimal nutrition and socio-economic cohesion.

He stressed the need for stakeholders to join hands to have sustainable and a productive national economy with a self-sufficient dairy sector as one of its firmest pillars.