The Federal Government has announced a major plan to import dairy cattle from Denmark to reduce the $1.5 billion Nigeria spends annually on dairy imports.
Speaking on Monday, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, said the government is committed to doubling the country’s milk production over the next five years.
“Our goal is ambitious but achievable, to double Nigeria’s milk production from 700,000 tonnes to 1.4 million tonnes annually in the next five years,” Maiha said.
He explained that although Nigeria has over 20 million cattle, most are low-yielding pastoral breeds that cannot meet national demand.
One Nigerian farm has already imported over 200 heifers from Denmark to tackle this challenge, using intensive breeding to grow a higher-yielding herd.
In a further boost to the sector, Maiha revealed that eight new pasture species have been registered for the first time in nearly five decades.
The government has also launched a National Strategy for Animal Genetic Resources in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
“With over 20.9 million cattle, 60 million sheep, and 1.4 million goats already, we are not starting from zero, we are building from strength,” he said.
Nigeria produces about 700,000 tonnes of milk annually, far below the 1.6 million tonnes it consumes. This gap forces the country to import nearly 60% of its milk needs.
The government’s new initiative is expected to reduce reliance on dairy imports, support local milk producers, and strengthen Nigeria’s livestock value chain.
It also aligns with the broader national agenda of achieving food security and increasing self-sufficiency in animal protein production.
