The Federal Government says it is advancing plans and strategic interventions to create economic opportunities for 37,000 women and youths in the dairy value chain, covering production, processing and marketing activities.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Maiha, disclosed this on Saturday in Abuja during a road walk organised as part of activities marking the 2026 World Milk Day celebration.

World Milk Day is celebrated annually on June 1.

The theme for the 2026 celebration is “Celebrating Women Dairy Farmers: Promoting Fresh Milk Consumption for a Healthy Nation”.

Mr Maiha, who was represented by Prof. Eustace Iyayi, special assistant to the minister, said the initiative formed part of efforts to celebrate and empower women dairy farmers across the country.

He explained that the programme, which is currently under consultation, focuses on skills development, enterprise integration, cooperative strengthening, and access to finance, technology transfer, and sustainable livestock production.

“The ministry is also exploring the establishment of women-led milk aggregation and processing cooperatives, which aim at increasing reach to strengthen local value addition and improve access to processors.

“Improve milk storage systems, mobile veterinary support, and extension services that are tailored specifically towards women dairy producers who often carry the core responsibility of livestock production as well as household care,” he said.

According to the minister, the commemoration provides an opportunity to recognise the invaluable contributions of women, men and families to food security, household nutrition, rural livelihoods and the growth of the dairy economy.

He noted that women remain central to milk production, preservation, storage, processing and marketing across the country.

Mr Maiha stressed that the ministry recognises that no meaningful transformation of the dairy sector can occur without the inclusion and empowerment of women.

He described women and youths as a critical pillar of the ministry’s strategic growth agenda.

“They are the human resource pillar of the sector. So when you need people to do anything, be it dairy, milk, sheep, goat production, poultry production, whatever it is, you need human beings.

“We have recognised them as a strategy and important in the success of our transformation effort.

“So we are committed to promoting gender-responsive dairy policies and interventions that create greater opportunities for women and youth through strengthening of dairy productivity, skills development, milk aggregation systems, value addition and enterprise support initiatives.

“The ministry therefore remains committed to building a dairy sector that is not only productive but also inclusive, equitable and sustainable,” he said.

 Mr Maiha said World Milk Day, celebrated globally under the coordination of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, highlights the critical contributions of milk and dairy products to nutrition, food security, livelihoods, and economic development.

He said the dairy sector was currently undergoing significant transformation globally and within Nigeria.

Citing data from the International Dairy Federation, the minister said global milk production now exceeds 780 million metric tonnes annually, while dairy consumption continues to rise across developing economies due to population growth, urbanisation and rising incomes.

“The global reality of milk production and consumption presents both a challenge and an opportunity for us in Nigeria.

“Nigeria remains one of Africa’s largest consumers of dairy products. Our national annual milk demand is estimated to be about 1.7 million metric tonnes.

“Local production currently ranges between 600,000 metric tonnes and 700,000 metric tonnes annually. So there is a huge gap in this country.

“This gap continues to drive significant import dependence and foreign exchange expenditure estimated to be around 1.5 billion dollars annually for dairy products,” he said.

Earlier, the permanent secretary in the ministry, Dr Chinyere Akujobi, said the road walk underscored a collective commitment to improving nutrition, promoting healthy lifestyles, advancing sustainable livestock development and strengthening Nigeria’s dairy industry.

Mrs Akujobi, represented by Dr Victor Egbon, emphasised the importance of collaboration among government institutions, the private sector and development partners in positioning dairy development as a strategic component of national food security and economic growth.

She said such partnerships would be crucial in unlocking the sector’s potential, improving local milk production and reducing Nigeria’s dependence on dairy imports.

(NAN)