By Musa Ibrahim
Nigeria’s dairy sector may be heading for its most ambitious overhaul in decades as the federal government moves to establish a Dairy Development and Milk Marketing Board, a central feature of the implementation plan for the National Dairy Policy.
The proposal came to the fore at a workshop in Abuja where government officials, researchers, and industry players gathered to validate the policy’s final implementation framework.
At the meeting, the Special Adviser and Coordinator of the National Presidential Livestock Reforms Initiatives, Professor Attahiru Jega, outlined the government’s strategy to rebuild the dairy value chain. Represented by Professor Demo Kalla of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, he said the plan is anchored on eleven strategic pillars that support President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with the aim of repositioning the dairy and livestock sectors as engines of food security, job creation, and economic expansion.
Jega explained that Nigeria’s dairy industry must be understood as more than a source of milk, describing it as a space where farmers, women, and young people can find nutrition, income, and empowerment. His remarks set the tone for a conversation that returned repeatedly to the tension between Nigeria’s vast livestock resources and its heavy dependence on imported milk.
The Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, said that the country spends about US$1.5 billion annually on dairy imports, a trend he described as fiscally unhealthy and inconsistent with the government’s push for economic diversification. He also told participants that Nigeria has enough livestock potential to meet domestic demand and that the validation workshop signaled a move from policy drafting to real-world implementation.
To stimulate local milk production, Maiha outlined incentives designed to attract both investors and small producers. These include tax holidays, access to soft credit, tariff protections, and the establishment of dairy development hubs in major production zones. He argued that these measures would help reduce barriers that have long discouraged commercial investment in the sector.
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Enoh, represented by Dr. Adedeji Adeshile, said the workshop reinforced a shared determination across ministries to turn policy commitments into measurable progress. He added that transforming the dairy sector requires predictable regulation, private sector participation, and sustained government backing.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr. Chinyere Ijeoma-Akujobi, represented by Dr Victor Egbo, acknowledged that the industry has struggled for years with structural problems. These include low milk yields, weak breed quality, poor market networks, and inadequate storage and processing systems.
She said the validation process provided a platform for stakeholders to fine-tune strategies that will support a more productive and inclusive dairy value chain. According to her, the focus is on building a sector capable of supplying the country’s growing demand for milk and positioning Nigeria to reduce its reliance on imported dairy products. The workshop concluded with a renewed commitment to translate the National Dairy Policy into concrete actions that can deliver a competitive industry fit for Nigeria’s evolving food and economic needs.
