World MILK Day 2026: FG to Feminise Livestock Value Chains, Empower 37,000 Women and Youth - Mukhtar

The Federal Government has announced plans to deliberately expand the participation of women across livestock value chains as part of efforts to transform Nigeria's dairy industry and accelerate economic opportunities for women and youth.

Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, disclosed this while delivering his keynote address at the 2026 World Milk Day Conference held in Abuja, where stakeholders gathered to celebrate this year's theme, "Celebrating Women's Dairy Farmers: Promoting Fresh Milk Consumption for a Healthy Nation."

"There is going to be a deliberate effort by the Ministry. From dairy to poultry, piggery, rabbitry, beekeeping, beef production and fodder development, there should be a deliberate attempt to feminise all these value chains," the Minister stated.

He noted that women remain central to milk production, processing, storage and marketing, stressing that the future of Nigeria's dairy industry depends on empowering them with modern technologies, skills and access to markets.

"No meaningful transformation of the dairy sector can occur without the inclusion and empowerment of women. We are committed to creating greater opportunities for women and youth through dairy cooperatives, skills development, milk aggregation systems, value addition and enterprise support initiatives.

"Improving the productivity of women dairy farmers requires more than policy statements. It requires deliberate investment in infrastructure, training, financing, technology, market access and inclusion within decision-making structures across the dairy value chain," he added.

Mukhtar further reiterated that the Ministry is advancing plans for a Women and Youth in Livestock Empowerment Initiative, designed to create economic opportunities for over 37,000 women and youth through skills development, enterprise incubation, cooperative strengthening, access to finance, technology transfer and market integration.

He also unveiled the National Dairy Policy Implementation Framework as a roadmap for accelerating local milk production and attracting investment into the sector; and disclosed plans to establish women-led milk aggregation and processing cooperatives to strengthen local value addition and improve access to processors and off-takers.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr. Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, represented by the Director of Ruminant and Monogastrics Development, Mr. Victor Egbon, noted that beyond its nutritional value, milk remains a critical driver of economic opportunity and sustainable livelihoods for millions of people around the world.

"For Nigeria, this conversation is particularly important because the dairy sector represents not only a nutrition imperative but also a strategic economic opportunity capable of generating employment, improving household incomes and strengthening food security," she stated.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Livestock Development, Idris Ajimobi, commended the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development for its efforts in advancing Nigeria’s livestock and dairy sector, describing ongoing initiatives as vital to national growth and food security.

He emphasised that efforts to transform the livestock sector must prioritise increased local milk production and encourage greater consumption of fresh, locally produced dairy products.

In his goodwill message,  National President of the Commercial Dairy Ranchers Association of Nigeria (CODARAN), M.D. Abubakar, emphasised the need to ensure that backward integration policies translate into measurable import substitution outcomes, warning that any programme that fails to achieve this objective amounts to “efforts without results.”

He further called for sustained collaboration to build a stronger, healthier, and more prosperous Nigeria through an optimally productive and competitive dairy value chain, wishing stakeholders continued progress and success in the sector.

Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of Promasidor Nigeria, Mr. François Gillet, reaffirmed the company's commitment to advancing Nigeria's dairy sector through sustainable local production and investment.

He disclosed that Promasidor operates one of the country's largest dairy farms, spanning over 500 hectares with more than 750 cattle producing fresh milk daily, while indirectly supporting about 1,000 jobs.

Gillet commended the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and industry stakeholders for their efforts in transforming the sector and called for continued support for dairy farmers, particularly women, while promoting fresh milk consumption to improve national nutrition outcomes.

Also speaking, the Country Representative and Political Director of Propcom+, Dr. Adiya Ode, congratulated stakeholders and women dairy farmers on the occasion of World Milk Day, noting that milk is increasingly becoming central to national conversations around nutrition and food security.

She urged stakeholders to pay greater attention to critical issues such as infrastructure development, feed availability and genetic improvement to unlock the full potential of Nigeria's dairy industry.

Similarly, the Director-General of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), represented at the event by the Communications and Engagement Officer, Ibrahim Faskari Kabir, described this year's theme as particularly significant because it recognises the indispensable contributions of women who form the backbone of dairy production, processing, marketing and household nutrition across rural communities.

He also highlighted the organisation's support for the development of the Dairy Policy Implementation Framework, describing it as a strategic roadmap for increasing local milk production, improving competitiveness, attracting investment and fostering sustainable growth.

The event recorded strong stakeholder participation, with representatives drawn from the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security; Industry, Trade and Investment; the National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI); the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency; Sahel Consulting; Nestlé Nigeria; USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Lagos; the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee, and exhibitors among others.

Henrietta Okokon

Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations

1st June, 2026