Gates Foundation Grants Consortium $5M To Boost Nigerian Dairy Sector

The Value4Dairy Consortium, led by FrieslandCampina, has secured a $5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to enhance productivity and sustainability within the Nigerian dairy industry.

Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, Ore Famurewa, revealed the news in a statement issued on Monday in Lagos State.

“The $5 million grant received from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will finance 50% of the Consortium’s latest project, aimed at advancing systemic and sustainable local dairy production in Nigeria,” she stated.

Famurewa explained that Value4Dairy Consortium, launched in April 2021, is a collaborative effort between four strategic partners with expertise in various agri-related value chains.

These partners include FrieslandCampina WAMCO; URUS, a global leader in artificial insemination, genetics, and herd management systems; Barenbrug, a leading grass and forage seed company; and Agrifirm,a global company operating in animal nutrition and crop farming.

Famurewa noted that the private sector consortium had developed a model representing a pathway toward a self-sufficient, competitive, climate-smart, and locally managed dairy sector, initially focusing on three self-sustaining dairy zones in Oyo, Osun, and Abuja.

She explained that these zones would serve as hubs for training and supporting 10,000 pastoralists and smallholders, expanding to encompass 40,000 milk producers in the years to come.

“Each Dairy zone will have a warehouse, outlets with dairy farming inputs, and two milk collection points, where FrieslandCampina WAMCO will gather the aggregated milk for processing into nutritious dairy products to nourish over five million Nigerians.

“The consortium will leverage the partners’ expertise to provide local farmers access to the latest advancements in feed, breeding, sustainable farming practices, and routes to the market, enabling them to sustainably increase milk production at lower costs,” she elaborated.

Famurewa stressed that while the programme primarily targets dairy sector transformation, it would also contribute to improved food security, increased farmer incomes; enhanced nutrition; reduced conflict between herders and farmers; improved water access; and lower greenhouse gas emission intensity.

She added that the programme is gender-sensitive, incorporating dedicated interventions to empower women’s participation in activities and generate additional income.

Similarly, Global Dairy Development Director, FrieslandCampina, Jeroen Elfers, stated, “FrieslandCampina has a longstanding commitment to building local resilient dairy value chains.

“FrieslandCampina is dedicated to the growth and development of the Nigerian dairy sector and collaborates with its partners in the Value4Dairy Consortium to support the development of a more robust dairy infrastructure.

“We are very pleased with the grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as it will enable us to accelerate the project.

“It also makes it possible to build a more robust program for the transition towards a sustainable, self-sufficient, and inclusive dairy value chain in Nigeria,” Elfers said.

Additionally, Managing Director of FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Roger Adou, commented, “Together with our partners, FrieslandCampina WAMCO has established the largest dairy value chain in Southwest Nigeria.**

“With this project, we aim to further empower local farmers, increase milk production, and contribute to the nation’s agricultural prosperity,” he added.