The Federal Government and its international development partners have launched a nationwide “Choose Milk Campaign” to combat widespread nutrition misinformation regarding dairy consumption.
The three-year public awareness drive has been established at the Lagos Marriott Hotel in Ikeja to help Nigerian households easily distinguish between authentic dairy milk and low-nutrient creamers.
This health initiative is a collaborative effort between the Danish Dairy Board, the European Union, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development.
Project coordinators clarified that the project will deploy community outreaches, school-based learning modules, and mainstream broadcast advertisements. The goal is to raise nutrition literacy at the grassroots level, ensuring families do not mistakenly rely on non-dairy coffee creamers for vital dietary proteins and calcium.
Speaking at the launch, the Senior Project Manager at the Danish Dairy Board, Mr Lars Jensen, emphasised that structural clarity is desperately needed in the local retail market.
He explained that many commercial products utilise deceptive dairy imagery despite lacking actual milk ingredients.
Jensen noted that educating consumers about these differences is fundamental to driving long-term behavioural change, especially as households face conflicting marketing claims about everyday food items.
In her opening remarks, the Danish Consul General to Nigeria, Jette Bjerrum, stressed the need for stronger partnerships among governments, healthcare institutions, development organisations, and industry stakeholders to improve nutrition outcomes.
According to her, sustainable progress in nutrition education and dairy development can only be achieved through systematic collaboration between the public and private sectors.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, delivered a recorded video address endorsing the campaign.
He stated that the initiative matches the federal goal to improve national food security and strengthen the domestic dairy value chain.
By encouraging citizens to prioritise authentic dairy milk, he noted that the country is taking a significant step towards building a healthier and more food-secure nation.
Ensuring strict compliance with product labelling rules, the event secured direct support from regulatory bodies, including NAFDAC and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
The Director of Food and Drug Services at the Health Ministry, Mrs Adeola Olufowobi-Yusuf, concluded that public health remains a non-negotiable priority, praising the inclusion of prominent influencers like paediatrician Dr Ayodele Renner to help deliver accurate nutrition data to millions of young mothers.
Source: Punch News
Image Credit: The Sun Nigeria
