FG Expands Dairy Programme to Increase Local Milk Output

The Federal Government has stepped up reforms aimed at increasing local milk production by improving livestock breeding, expanding milk collection facilities and introducing modern dairy production systems to reduce reliance on imported dairy products.

The renewed drive was highlighted during the final day of the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha's, three-day working visit to Kano State. During the visit, the minister commissioned an upgraded Milk Collection Centre operated by L&Z Integrated Farms in Kadawa, Kura Local Government Area. The facility has increased its milk handling capacity from 10,000 litres to 20,000 litres, strengthening the cold-chain system for fresh milk collection.

L&Z Integrated Farms said it operates nine solar-powered milk collection centres across Kano, Jigawa and Bauchi states, serving more than 4,000 dairy farmers organised into 53 cooperatives. The company also plans to add another 3,000 farmers to its network before the end of 2026 to improve milk aggregation and market access.

Maiha praised the company for developing a digital database of dairy farmers, describing accurate data as essential for planning and delivering effective support to livestock producers. He also inspected irrigated pasture projects and visited the Kadawa Artificial Insemination and Genetics Centre, where he called for a Public-Private Partnership model to improve operations, strengthen livestock breeding and support long-term growth in Nigeria's dairy sector.