By Uzor Odigbo
The Nigerian government has said that it would stop importation of milk in 2022.
The Agriculture Minister and Rural Development, Mallam Sabo Nanono, disclosed this in Abuja.
He said that the government’s idea to stop milk importation by 2022 was geared towards self-sufficiency in dairy production.
“We are planning in this ministry and watch my words, in the next two years we will ban the importation of milk into this country. And ask me why, we have 25 million cows in this country to produce five million litres per day.
“The issue is now logistics, which we have started by setting up milk processing plants across the country. I see no reason why we should import milk in the next two years. We should stop the importation of milk,” he said.
Nanono explained that the country, which spends between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion yearly importing dairy products, announced a forex ban for the items in 2019 through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The minister added that in February this year, the federal government handed the liberty to import the products to six firms, which include; Nestle, FrieslandCampina, Promasidor and Chi Limited because they showed considerable commitment to local milk production through backward integration.
