President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reiterated his administration’s determination to end Nigeria’s huge reliance on imported milk and dairy products, which he said costs the country over $1.5 billion annually.
Speaking through the minister of livestock development, Dr. Idi Mukhtar Maina, at the Arla Dano Open Day held in Damau, Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the President said Nigeria must correct the “paradox of being a livestock-rich nation that still depends heavily on imports to meet its dairy needs.”
Tinubu noted that despite its vast livestock resources, Nigeria produces only about 0.7 million litres of milk yearly, while per capital consumption remains as low as 8.7 litres far below the World Health Organization’s benchmark of 210 litres.
He said the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development was a deliberate step by his administration to unlock the livestock value chain, reduce import dependence, and strengthen national food security.
“Kaduna is now emerging as Nigeria’s dairy hub and a model for modern livestock development,” the President said. “Such initiatives as Arla Dano Farm’s investment will empower rural farmers, create jobs, and enhance livelihoods across pastoral communities.”
Tinubu commended Arla Foods and Arla Dano Farm for their multimillion-dollar investment in dairy production, describing the project as a strong example of public-private collaboration for agricultural transformation.
On his part, Kaduna State governor, Senator Uba Sani, said the State was leading the charge in agricultural innovation, with more than 10 percent of its 2025 budget dedicated to food security.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Abdulkadir Mua’zu Meyere, the governor disclosed that agriculture currently contributes 51 per cent to Kaduna’s GDP and employs about 70 per cent of the state’s population.
He said the state government had set up strategic institutions including the Livestock Regulatory Authority, the Livestock Transformation Company, and the Ranch Development Company — to drive livestock modernisation and attract private investment.
Governor Sani highlighted the Damau Household Milk Farm Project as a flagship initiative under the state’s agricultural transformation agenda.
The project, he explained, is resettling 1,000 pastoralist families into cooperative dairy farming on 8,000 hectares of land, with 600 hectares already developed for irrigated pasture.
Earlier, Project Manager of Arla Dano Farm, Mr. Snorri Sigurdsson, said the Damau farm currently houses more than 400 dairy cows, with plans to double production by next year.
He said the goal of the project is to make Damau “the heart of milk production in Nigeria,” adding that the initiative is not only about milk but also about empowering communities and building sustainable livelihoods.
Highlights of the event included a guided tour of the farm facilities, the commissioning of a new yogurt factory, and the unveiling of the Sustainable Climate Resilient Economic Empowerment and Nutrition (SCREEN) project.
