The Federal Government has announced plans to create economic opportunities for 37,000 women and young people across Nigeria’s dairy value chain as part of efforts to boost local milk production, strengthen food security and reduce the country’s dependence on imported dairy products.
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The initiative will cover key areas of the dairy industry, including milk production, processing and marketing, and is expected to focus on skills development, enterprise support, access to finance, technology transfer and cooperative development.
Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Maiha, disclosed the plan in Abuja during a road walk organised to mark the 2026 World Milk Day celebration.
Represented by his Special Assistant, Prof. Eustace Iyayi, the minister said the programme is currently under consultation and forms part of broader efforts to empower women dairy farmers and create more opportunities for young people within the livestock sector.
According to him, the government is looking beyond traditional support programmes by developing interventions that will improve participation across the entire dairy value chain.
“The ministry is also exploring the establishment of women-led milk aggregation and processing cooperatives, which aim at increasing reach in order to strengthen local value addition and improve access to processors,” Maiha said.
He added that the ministry is considering measures to improve milk storage systems and provide mobile veterinary services and extension support tailored specifically to women dairy farmers, many of whom combine livestock production activities with household responsibilities.
The announcement comes as Nigeria continues to face a significant gap between local milk production and national demand.
Speaking on the state of the dairy industry, Maiha said Nigeria’s annual milk demand is estimated at about 1.7 million metric tonnes, while local production currently ranges between 600,000 and 700,000 metric tonnes.
The difference has created a heavy reliance on imported dairy products, resulting in an estimated annual foreign exchange expenditure of about $1.5 billion.
“The global reality of milk production and consumption presents both a challenge and an opportunity for us in Nigeria,” he said.
“Nigeria remains one of Africa’s largest consumers of dairy products. Our national annual milk demand is estimated to be about 1.7 million metric tonnes.”
The minister noted that closing this supply gap will require stronger investment in local production capacity, improved productivity among dairy farmers and greater participation from women and young people who represent a large portion of the sector’s workforce.
According to him, women remain central to dairy activities across the country, playing major roles in milk production, preservation, storage, processing and marketing.
He said the Ministry of Livestock Development considers women and youths a critical pillar of its long-term transformation agenda and believes sustainable growth in the sector cannot happen without their active involvement.
“They are the human resource pillar of the sector. So when you need people to do anything, be it dairy, milk, sheep, goat production, poultry production, whatever it is you need human beings,” Maiha said.
“We have recognised them as strategy and important in the success of our transformation effort.”
He explained that the ministry intends to pursue gender-responsive dairy policies that support productivity, strengthen milk aggregation systems and encourage value addition across the industry.
The programme is also expected to promote enterprise development opportunities for beneficiaries, creating pathways for women and young entrepreneurs to participate more actively in commercial dairy operations.
The announcement aligns with the theme of the 2026 World Milk Day celebration, “Celebrating Women Dairy Farmers: Promoting Fresh Milk Consumption for a Healthy Nation.”
World Milk Day is celebrated annually on June 1 under the coordination of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations to highlight the importance of milk and dairy products in nutrition, food security, livelihoods and economic development.
Maiha said the dairy industry is undergoing significant transformation globally, with consumption continuing to rise across developing economies due to population growth, urbanisation and increasing income levels.
Citing data from the International Dairy Federation, he noted that global milk production now exceeds 780 million metric tonnes annually.
For Nigeria, the growing demand for dairy products presents both a challenge and an opportunity to expand domestic production and build a stronger local industry capable of meeting consumer needs.
Also speaking at the event, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr Chinyere Akujobi, said the World Milk Day road walk reflected a collective commitment to improving nutrition, promoting healthy lifestyles and strengthening Nigeria’s dairy sector.
Represented by Dr Victor Egbon, she stressed the importance of collaboration between government agencies, private sector operators and development partners to unlock the sector’s full potential.
According to her, stronger partnerships will be essential for increasing local milk production, improving dairy value chains and reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported dairy products.
If successfully implemented, the proposed programme could provide thousands of women and young Nigerians with new economic opportunities while supporting the Federal Government’s broader objective of building a more productive, inclusive and sustainable dairy industry.
