FrieslandCampina-led consortium secures $5 million grant from Gates Foundation for Nigerian dairy sector

The Value4Dairy Consortium, led by FrieslandCampina, has secured a $5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in a boost for the Nigerian dairy sector.

Ore Famurewa, Executive Director, Corporate Affairs at FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, announced this development in a statement on Monday.

Famurewa revealed that the grant, covering 50% of the Consortium’s latest project, aims to enhance the productivity and sustainability of Nigeria’s dairy industry.

The grant for Nigerian dairy sector

• The Consortium’s model envisions the creation of three self-sustaining dairy zones in Oyo, Osun, and Abuja.
• These zones will serve as hubs for training and supporting 10,000 pastoralists and smallholders, with a future plan to include 40,000 milk producers.
• Each dairy zone will feature warehouses, outlets with dairy farming inputs, and two milk collection points, facilitating the processing of aggregated milk into nutritious dairy products by FrieslandCampina WAMCO.
• The project aims 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 dairy transformation, the program seeks to contribute to food security, higher farmer incomes, improved nutrition, reduced conflicts between herders and farmers, enhanced water access, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Famurewa emphasized the gender-intentional nature of the program, incorporating interventions to empower women in activities and additional income generation.

Jeroen Elfers, Global Dairy Development Director at FrieslandCampina, expressed the company’s commitment to building resilient local dairy value chains and welcomed the Gates Foundation grant as a means to accelerate the project.

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

What you should know

Launched in April 2021, the Value4Dairy Consortium comprises strategic partners 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).