Nestlé Nigeria has committed more than N1.8 billion to improve the livelihoods of pastoralists in and around the Paikon Kore Grazing Reserve in the Federal Capital Territory.
The declaration was made Thursday in Abuja during the Nestlé Dairy Demonstration Farm presentation as part of the Nestlé Livestock Development Project (NLDP) by Mr. Wassim Elhusseini, Managing Director of Nestlé Nigeria Plc.
He clarified that the three main pillars of the NLDP—better milk, better feed (fodder), and resilient communities—were established in 2019 in partnership with CBI Innovations and 2SCALE.
“With an investment of N1.858 billion, the NLDP project currently collects an average of 6,000 litres of fresh milk per day from 1,600 dairy households,” he stated.
He said that the project hopes to raise milk aggregation to 30,000 litres per day by November 2027 by using better local breeds and the best dairy farming techniques.
Increased income for dairy farmers
He pointed out that between 2021 and 2024, the monthly income of milk farmers who participated in the scheme increased significantly, from N70,000 to N250,000.
He claimed that better dairy techniques and the creation of supportive community infrastructure were the main drivers of this increase.
He said that the amount of milk collected at the Paikon Kore centre has increased from 200 litres on June 1, 2021, to an average of 6,000 litres daily.
“To date, the project has collected over one million litres of raw milk, helping 3,000 milk producers from the 83 successful dairy cooperatives founded by the NLDP.”
“This improvement in output is the direct result of teaching over 2,000 pastoralists in dairy methods, immunising over 36,000 cattle, and building 19 boreholes and 28 water troughs to provide consistent availability to water.”
“By creating a workable model for putting best dairy practices into practice, we are strengthening and maintaining the NLDP’s success and promoting long-term prosperity for our community of farmers, aggregators, and milk producers.”
Higher-quality milk
Elhusseini claimed that the program greatly enhanced milk quality by lowering rejection rates from 12% in 2021 to 5% in 2024.
He underlined that this endeavor would significantly improve regional food security. He restated the company’s objective to reach a critical mass of 30,000 liters of milk production per day by November 2027 throughout the FCT and its surrounding dairy farm clusters.
The minister’s support for Nestlé’s pledge
Idi Maiha, the Minister of Livestock Development, praised Nestlé for its dedication to sustainable farming methods and called the dairy farm a significant turning point in Nigeria’s progress towards sustainable livestock development, economic expansion, and food security.
He outlined the advantages of the project, which include increased productivity through climate-smart sustainable methods, increasing local farmers’ skills, and giving thousands of rural families a steady source of income through the Paikon Kore milk collection hub.
Offering assistance to tackle industry issues
Apampa said technology has improved the project to reduce manufacturing costs while promoting the local economy and protecting the environment.
He disclosed that the number of cattle on the property had increased from 20 to 71 during the previous year and eight months.
The project is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to promote economic growth and national development, according to Lawan Geidam, FCTA’s Mandate Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development.
