Yemisi Izuora
Nigeria is taking significant steps to improve the country’s dairy industry with the view to increase production capacity and create more jobs.
To achieve this laudable initiative, key officials from Nigeria visited Denmark to seek collaboration and advance the initiative.
The cooperation informed a high-level delegation tour from the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Livestock, led by the Minister Alhaji Idi Mukthar Maiha, along with senior officials from the Kaduna State Government led by Hon. Commissioner of Agriculture Mr. Murtala Dabo, to Denmark.
The visit was hosted by the Danish Embassy of Nigeria and facilitated by Arla Foods, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration towards developing a sustainable dairy industry in Nigeria.
Other key participants of the delegation were the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Livestock Development Hon. Abolaji Abiola-Ajimobi, as well as the Commissioner of Livestock development for Kogi State Dr. Olufemi Bolarin and the Benue State Director General Bureau for Livestock Development and Transboundary Animal Disease Control, Dr. Aondoakaa Asambe.
The visit featured an insightful agenda, including technical tours of some of Denmark’s most innovative dairy and agricultural facilities, as well as high-level meetings with the Danish Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Director of Veterinary Services, and other key stakeholders in the dairy sector. These engagements provided valuable opportunities to exchange knowledge on regulatory frameworks, animal welfare, observe best practices on dairy models, and explore scalable solutions tailored to Nigeria’s local context.
Mr. Peder Pedersen, Managing Director of Arla Foods Nigeria, emphasized the importance of such international collaborations; “We are proud to have facilitated this important mission in close partnership with the Danish Embassy. It is through exchanges like this that we can bridge expertise, drive innovation, and accelerate the growth of a sustainable dairy sector in Nigeria. Seeing practical, proven models in action provides powerful inspiration for what is possible back home.”
The Minister Alhaji Idi Mukthar Maiha also expressed his enthusiasm stating that “The Denmark visit was an eye opener for me. It was highly inspirational. I am convinced that we in Nigeria can also transform our livestock industry along a similar route. We can do it.”
This strategic visit underscores the long-standing collaboration between Nigeria and Denmark in the area of agriculture and dairy development. Arla Foods remains committed to supporting the Nigerian government and local stakeholders to improve the dairy value chain through capacity building, knowledge sharing, and investment in local production.
As Nigeria works to build a self-sustaining and climate-resilient dairy industry, Arla looks forward to many more collaborations and impactful projects in the future.