By Atoyebi Nike
The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD) has entered a new partnership with the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC) to scale up local dairy production and reduce Nigeria’s heavy reliance on milk imports.
The deal was sealed during a strategy meeting held on August 1, 2025, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja. It focuses on the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS), a federal roadmap to develop the livestock sector and cut the annual $1.5 billion spent on milk imports.
Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, welcomed NNDC’s commitment and described the partnership as a major step toward unlocking Nigeria’s dairy value chain.
“This collaboration fits our goals,” he said. “With the right investors, we can fill critical gaps in genetics, feeding, logistics, and markets.”
Maiha highlighted the Ministry’s focus on key areas including breeding improvement, cold-chain logistics, extension services, and market systems. He stressed that transforming livestock will require coordinated efforts, co-investment, and modern production clusters.
“NL-GAS gives us the direction,” he added. “But partners like NNDC will help bring it to life with real investments that benefit both herders and commercial farmers.”
NNDC Group Managing Director, Shehu Mai-Borno, led the company’s delegation. He said NNDC is ready to deploy capital, skills, and infrastructure to strengthen the dairy sector.
“We aim to build integrated dairy hubs that empower farmers, create jobs, and grow Nigeria’s milk supply—especially in the North,” he said.
He added that NNDC is shifting focus to high-impact sectors like livestock, which has strong economic potential.
NNDC, formed in 1976, is owned by the 19 northern states and has a long history of regional economic development.
As a next step, both parties agreed to form a joint task force to design a detailed action plan aligned with national livestock goals.
