The Value4Dairy Consortium, has secured a $5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the Nigerian dairy sector.
The consortium, led by FrieslandCampina, disclosed that the grant, covering 50 per cent of the Consortium’s latest project, aims to enhance the productivity and sustainability of Nigeria’s dairy industry.
Executive Director, Corporate Affairs at FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, Ore Famurewa, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
The Value4Dairy Consortium, which was launched in 2021, comprises strategic partners FrieslandCampina WAMCO, URUS (specialising in artificial insemination, genetics, and herd management systems), Barenbrug (a leading grass and forage seed company), and Agrifirm (a global company in animal nutrition and crop farming).
The Consortium’s model envisions the creation of three self-sustaining dairy zones in Oyo, Osun, and Abuja.
These zones will serve as hubs for training and supporting 10,000 pastoralists and smallholders, with a future plan to include 40,000 milk producers.
It further explained that each dairy zone will feature warehouses, outlets with dairy farming inputs, and two milk collection points, facilitating the processing of aggregated milk into nutritious dairy products by FrieslandCampina WAMCO.
The project, according to the statement, aims to empower local farmers by providing access to advancements in feed, breeding, sustainable farming practices, and market routes, leading to increased milk production at lower costs.
The programme further seeks to contribute to food security, higher farmer incomes, improved nutrition, reduced conflicts between herders and farmers, enhanced water access, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Famurewa emphasised the gender-intentional nature of the programme, incorporating interventions to empower women in activities and additional income generation.
The statement quotred Jeroen Elfers, Global Dairy Development Director at FrieslandCampina, to have expressed the company’s commitment to building resilient local dairy value chains and welcomed the Gates Foundation grant as a means to accelerate the project.
Roger Adou, Managing Director of FrieslandCampina WAMCO, was also said to have highlighted the Consortium’s efforts in creating the largest dairy value chain in South-West Nigeria. The project aims to further empower local farmers, increase milk production, and contribute to the nation’s agricultural prosperity.
