In a significant boost to Nigeria’s dairy sector, the Value4Dairy Consortium, spearheaded by FrieslandCampina, has secured a substantial $5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This announcement was made by Ore Famurewa, the Executive Director of Corporate Affairs at FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC.
The grant, covering half of the Consortium’s latest project, is geared towards elevating the productivity and sustainability of Nigeria’s dairy industry. The Consortium’s visionary model aims to establish three self-sustaining dairy zones in Oyo, Osun, and Abuja. These zones will serve as pivotal hubs for training and supporting 10,000 pastoralists and smallholders, with future plans to incorporate 40,000 milk producers.
Each dairy zone is slated to feature warehouses, outlets equipped with dairy farming inputs, and two milk collection points, streamlining the processing of aggregated milk into nutritious dairy products by FrieslandCampina WAMCO. The overarching goal of the project is to empower local farmers by providing access to advancements in feed, breeding, sustainable farming practices, and market routes, ultimately leading to increased milk production at lower costs.
Beyond the transformation of the dairy sector, the program aspires to contribute to broader socio-economic objectives, including food security, higher farmer incomes, improved nutrition, reduced conflicts between herders and farmers, enhanced water access, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Famurewa emphasized the gender-intentional nature of the program, incorporating interventions to empower women in activities and additional income generation. Jeroen Elfers, Global Dairy Development Director at FrieslandCampina, expressed the company’s commitment to building resilient local dairy value chains, welcoming the Gates Foundation grant as a catalyst to expedite the project.
Roger Adou, Managing Director of FrieslandCampina WAMCO, highlighted the Consortium’s commendable 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 significantly to the nation’s agricultural prosperity.
Launched in April 2021, the Value4Dairy Consortium boasts strategic partnerships with FrieslandCampina WAMCO, URUS (specializing 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).
Famurewa emphasized the gender-intentional nature of the program, incorporating interventions to empower women in activities and additional income generation. Jeroen Elfers, Global Dairy Development Director at FrieslandCampina, expressed the company’s commitment to building resilient local dairy value chains, welcoming the Gates Foundation grant as a catalyst to expedite the project.
Roger Adou, Managing Director of FrieslandCampina WAMCO, highlighted the Consortium’s commendable 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 significantly to the nation’s agricultural prosperity.
Launched in April 2021, the Value4Dairy Consortium boasts strategic partnerships with FrieslandCampina WAMCO, URUS (specializing 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).
