Nigeria produces only 700,000 metric tonnes of milk, spends over $1.5bn to import
Nigeria produces only 700,000 metric tonnes of milk, spends over $1.5bn to import
* EU dairy companies are already investing in Nigeria as a way of meeting up with expectations.
As Nigeria marked the 2025 World Milk Day, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, revealed that the country spends over $1.5 billion annually on dairy imports due to a significant gap between local production and demand.
Speaking at the World Milk Day Conference held in Abuja, the Minister stated that while Nigeria consumes about 1.6 million metric tonnes of milk annually, local production only accounts for 700,000 metric tonnes, leaving a 60 percent deficit that is covered through costly imports.
Maiha decried the nation’s low per capita milk consumption, noting that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 210 litres per person per year, whereas Nigerians consume only 8.7 litres per person, a volume he described as “barely enough for tea throughout the rainy season.”
“We have a milk supply gap, but more importantly, we have a milk opportunity,” the Minister stated. “The creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development is already yielding strategic interventions.”
Nigeria produces only 700,000 metric tonnes of milk, spends over $1.5bn to import
He announced that the Ministry is implementing the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS) and finalizing the Implementation Framework for the National Dairy Policy. These initiatives aim to boost milk production, generate employment, and improve nutrition.
“This is not just about cows. It’s about people, jobs, economic dignity, and nation-building,” he added.
According to Maiha, part of the strategy includes establishing feedlots and dairy farms, encouraging private sector investment, and working closely with multinationals and foreign partners to transform the sector.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) has pledged strong support for Nigeria’s dairy development. Delivering a keynote address, the Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, affirmed the EU’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s livestock and dairy industries.
“We aim to unlock value across the entire dairy ecosystem — from pasture to processing — and attract investments that create decent jobs, especially for youth and women,” Mignot said.
He highlighted that EU dairy companies are already investing in Nigeria and that the EU is facilitating policy dialogue, knowledge exchange, and alignment with Nigeria’s National Livestock Transformation Plan.
The EU envoy identified several critical areas for unlocking Nigeria’s dairy potential, including:
Improving productivity through better feed, farm management, and veterinary services
Modernizing infrastructure, particularly milk collection centers, cold chains, and processing units
Empowering women and youth, who play a pivotal but often overlooked role in rural dairy production
Promoting environmental sustainability with climate-smart and regenerative practices
Expanding access to finance and training for smallholders and entrepreneurs
The Minister concluded by saying the Ministry is also developing a 15-year Livestock Master Plan (LMP), with a detailed 5-year investment roadmap to coordinate implementation and align all sectoral initiatives.
Stakeholders at the event included representatives from federal ministries, international development partners, the private sector, state governments, farmer cooperatives, and research institutions.
