Nigeria is seeking to strengthen its dairy industry through closer cooperation with Uganda, with discussions focusing on livestock development, improved cattle productivity, animal health and dairy processing. The initiative is part of the country’s efforts to increase local milk production, develop its dairy value chain and reduce dependence on imported dairy products.<\/p>\n
On October 15, Nigeria’s Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, held discussions with Uganda’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Philip Odida, to identify potential areas of collaboration between the two countries.<\/p>\n
According to Nigeria’s Ministry of Livestock Development, the talks addressed several key priorities, including improving dairy cattle genetics, enhancing animal healthcare services, introducing more efficient feeding practices and expanding milk processing infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Uganda’s progress in developing its dairy industry offers valuable experience for Nigeria as it works to modernise its livestock sector and improve the performance of domestic dairy production.<\/p>\n
Figures from Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture indicate that national milk production doubled from 2.7 billion litres in 2020 to 5.4 billion litres in 2025. The country’s dairy exports have also recorded substantial growth, with revenues increasing from US$102.6 million in 2022 to US$285.4 million in 2024. Milk powder and ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk remain among its important export products.<\/p>\n
Beyond primary production, the discussions explored opportunities to expand processing activities and manufacture higher-value dairy products. Private-sector representatives reportedly showed interest in using surplus milk powder as a raw material for other dairy products targeting regional markets.<\/p>\n
Building Regional Dairy Cooperation<\/strong><\/p>\n The Nigeria-Uganda initiative follows another regional engagement involving Nigerian dairy stakeholders. The Kenya Dairy Board recently received a delegation from the Commercial Dairy Ranchers Association of Nigeria (CODARAN), which visited Kenya on a benchmarking mission to examine successful practices across the dairy value chain.<\/p>\n During the visit, the Nigerian delegation toured the Kenya Dairy Board’s National Dairy Regulatory Laboratory, where members learned about regulatory testing procedures, milk quality control and food safety assurance systems.<\/p>\n These exchanges highlight the growing importance of regional cooperation in addressing Africa’s dairy development challenges. By sharing technical expertise, production models and regulatory experience, African countries can accelerate improvements in milk productivity, processing capacity and market competitiveness.<\/p>\n For Nigeria, partnerships with established dairy-producing countries such as Uganda and Kenya could provide valuable support in achieving its 2030 production ambitions while laying the foundations for a more competitive and sustainable domestic dairy industry.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nigeria is seeking to strengthen its dairy industry through closer cooperation with Uganda, with discussions focusing on livestock development, improved cattle productivity, animal health and dairy processing. The initiative is part of the country’s efforts to increase local milk production, develop its dairy value chain and reduce dependence on imported dairy products. On October 15, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3042,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,29],"tags":[1323,1319,522,1321],"class_list":["post-3035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-nutrition","tag-africa-milk-production","tag-nigeria-dairy","tag-poultry-livestock-middle-east-africa-magazine","tag-uganda-dairy"],"yoast_head":"\n