Royal FrieslandCampina WAMCO has strengthened its business in the Nigerian dairy industry with a fresh injection of €23 million (N300billion) into its operations. It is part of its sustainable Dairy Development Programmes.
The firm, which manufactures Peak Milk, has been at the epicentre of Nigeria’s dairy market revolution. Upon the announcement of this investment, the company said it was consolidating on its previous efforts to address the deficit in milk production in Nigeria.
Commenting on the development, global CEO of the company, Hein Schumacher said: “We are investing around €23 million in our evaporated milk and ready-to-drink milk factory in order to provide fresh milk for the Nigerian consumer. FrieslandCampina WAMCO has been successful with dairy development in recent years and milk yield is improving.
Launched in 2011, the Dairy Development Project (DDP) was initiated by the company to revamp dairy production in Nigeria. Thousands of local farmers have benefited directly in the initiative geared towards meeting the 1.1 billion litres yearly demand in the country.
The objective of the programme is also to empower youth and local cattle rearers in the dairy sector. Rural pastoral families will also be directly affected as the company plans to transform an additional 500 pastoralists to settled dairy farmers under the DDP model in addition to over 100,000 people who have been positively impacted.
“Our Company is fully committed to working with local farmers to grow local milk production and ultimately ensure that Nigerians continue to benefit from the nutritious content of milk. Working with 3,500 dairy farmers in over 90 farming communities in Oyo State, we are already providing the required knowledge transfer and sustainable livelihoods for communities.
“The establishment of suitable grazing reserves, provision of extension services, and setting up milk collection centres, improved access to pasture and water will also enhance dairy production,” Schumacher added.
