The discussion with the President centered around Royal FrieslandCampina's work as the lead partner in developing the Nigerian dairy sector.
Royal FrieslandCampina and FrieslandCampina WAMCO are working on improving the country's dairy industry through the sustainable Dairy Development Program (DDP), a private-public partnership that aims to stimulate growth in Nigeria’s agro-economic sector.
FrieslandCampina is currently the only dairy manufacturer sourcing part of its raw milk requirement locally for production.
Developing Nigerian dairy industry
During the visit, Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, says the goal of his administration is to develop the nation’s assets on a permanent basis.
The President lamented a situation where cattle farmers throw away milk from their animals, because there was no means of preserving and processing the product.
“We have failed to develop our assets on a permanent basis. This, we are determined to work on,” the President promised.
He urged FrieslandCampina, in its collaboration with Nigeria, to educate cattle farmers that “quality matters more than quantity,” and help them organize into cooperatives for better business.
MoU with government
Earlier this year, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and FrieslandCampina WAMCO, makers of Peak, Three Crowns and Friso brands of milk, renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on dairy development in the country.
FrieslandCampina WAMCO is the first dairy company in Nigeria to sign such a pact with the Federal Government.
The company’s corporate affairs director, Ore Famurewa, said the company would invest N3bn ($9.5m) in its smallholder dairy farmer program in Nigeria and has also agreed to provide support to a FMARD subsidiary, Milcopal, in Kaduna.
FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria uses a variety of tools to develop dairy farmers including:
Training: On the ground practical knowledge transfer by local FrieslandCampina dairy development officers and/or by Dutch dairy farmers (via Farmer2Farmer program)
Advice: Consultancy services by internal and external dairy professionals on e.g. feeding, breeding, hygiene, disease control and milk payment
Knowledge Partnerships: Setting-up of a center for knowledge transfer, demonstration, research and innovation (via a development center or a demo farm)
Infrastructure Provision: Financing of local infrastructure such as milk collection centers, boreholes, milk collection trucks, etc.
Field Trip: Hosting delegations of local dairy stakeholders to the Netherlands to showcase best practices in the Dutch Grass-to-Glass approach