Milk importation costs Nigeria $1.5bn, says Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has said Nigeria’s neglect of the livestock sector has cost the country approximately $1.5 billion on milk importation only.

Speaking at a two-day Consultative Workshop on Livestock Reforms in Abuja on Thursday, the president expressed concerns over Nigeria’s dependence on dairy imports and the critical state of local production.

Lamenting Nigeria’s inability to provide basic nutrition for school children, President Tinubu said, ““A country of over 200 million people cannot serve our children one pint of milk in a classroom per day? That is not right.”

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Tinubu’s remark underscores the urgency of reforming the livestock subsector to improve local production capabilities.

Nigeria’s production levels

Speaking on Nigeria’s level of production, President Tinubu said the production levels of animal-source foods is worrisome. Nigeria produces only 0.7 billion litres of milk annually, which is inadequate for its needs.

He said, “Our per capita consumption levels 8.7 litres of milk, 9 kg of meat, and 3.5 kg or 45 eggs per year are troublingly low compared to global averages.”

He further stressed the need for improvement, stating, “What is more worrisome to me is the average milk yield by cow breeds managed by our pastoralists: it is a mere 0.5 to 1.5 litres per day, compared to a global average of 6.6 litres per day. We can do much better!”

During his address, President Tinubu commended the Presidential Livestock Reform Implementation Committee, which is co-chaired by Prof. Attahiru Jega and Prof. Muhammed Yahaya Kuta, for their dedication to transforming the livestock sector.

He expressed a clear vision: “Our shared mission is clear: we aim to transform the livestock sector from its current subsistence model into a thriving, commercialized industry.”
He further highlighted the significant resources Nigeria possesses, including 563 million chickens, 58 million cattle, 124 million goats, 60 million sheep, and 16 million pigs, which position the nation as the leading livestock producer in West Africa.

He called for collective efforts, stating, “Yes, we can do it. We can bring prosperity to our people. We can feed our children. From grass, we can achieve grace. We can contribute so much to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provide decent jobs.”

In order to deal decisively with the challenge, President Tinubu had created Ministry of Livestock Development.