FrieslandCampina-Led Consortium Secures $5 Million Gates Foundation Grant

In a significant stride towards enhancing Nigeria’s dairy sector, the Value4Dairy Consortium, spearheaded by FrieslandCampina, has successfully secured a generous $5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This pivotal funding, covering 50% of the Consortium’s latest project, is geared towards elevating the productivity and sustainability of Nigeria’s dairy industry.

Ore Famurewa, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs at FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, made the exciting announcement, detailing the consortium’s ambitious model. The envisioned plan focuses on establishing three self-sustaining dairy zones in Oyo, Osun, and Abuja, serving as pivotal hubs for training and supporting 10,000 pastoralists and smallholders. Future expansion aims to include a remarkable 40,000 milk producers.

Each dairy zone will be equipped with warehouses, outlets featuring dairy farming inputs, and two milk collection points, streamlining the processing of aggregated milk into nutritious dairy products by FrieslandCampina WAMCO. The overarching goal of the project is to empower local farmers by providing access to advancements in feed, breeding, sustainable farming practices, and market routes, leading to increased milk production at lower costs.

Beyond its immediate dairy-focused objectives, the program is designed to contribute significantly to broader societal goals. This includes promoting food security, boosting farmer incomes, improving nutrition, mitigating conflicts between herders and farmers, enhancing water access, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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Famurewa emphasized the gender-intentional nature of the program, highlighting its commitment to empowering women in various activities and additional income generation. Jeroen Elfers, Global Dairy Development Director at FrieslandCampina, expressed the company’s dedication to building resilient local dairy value chains and welcomed the Gates Foundation grant as a catalyst to accelerate this transformative project.

Roger Adou, Managing Director of FrieslandCampina WAMCO, highlighted the Consortium’s ongoing efforts in creating the largest dairy value chain in South-West Nigeria. The project, launched in April 2021, aims to further empower local farmers, increase milk production, and contribute significantly to the nation’s agricultural prosperity.

The Value4Dairy Consortium comprises strategic partners, including FrieslandCampina WAMCO, URUS (specializing in artificial insemination, genetics, and herd management systems), Barenbrug (a leading grass and forage seed company), and Agrifirm (a global company in animal nutrition and crop farming).

This collaboration signifies a crucial step towards sustainable development in Nigeria’s dairy industry, fostering economic growth, food security, and empowerment within local communities.

Source: Nairametrics