FG launches 2,000 litres daily milk collection centre in Bauchi

The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has inaugurated a Milk Collection Centre with a 2,000-litre daily capacity at the Sawi Grazing Reserve in Adamami community of Shira Local Government Area of Bauchi state. The facility was rehabilitated and equipped a few years ago by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, under the Livestock […]

The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has inaugurated a Milk Collection Centre with a 2,000-litre daily capacity at the Sawi Grazing Reserve in Adamami community of Shira Local Government Area of Bauchi state.

The facility was rehabilitated and equipped a few years ago by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, under the Livestock Directorate, and is now managed by a private investor, L&Z Integrated Farms.

Speaking during the inauguration, the Ministry’s Director of Livestock Development, Tagwi James, explained that the facility was sited at the Sawi Grazing Reserve because of the significant milk deposits that could be harnessed daily.

James stated that the rehabilitation of the Milk Collection Centre is part of the federal government’s renewed drive to meet the country’s demand for dairy products. The aim is to boost local milk production and reduce Nigeria’s dependency on dairy imports.

He called on state governments to support federal government efforts by implementing livestock-related policies and programs to achieve these objectives.

 

Nigeria’s Dairy Industry

In his remarks, Muhammad Damakka Abubakar, the Managing Director of L&Z Integrated Farms, said that Nigeria must work hard to scale up its dairy processing and production capacity.

Abubakar disclosed that the country spends approximately $1.5 billion annually on milk importation, a trend the federal government hopes to reverse through its new livestock development policy and the creation of a dedicated Ministry of Livestock Development.

“Improving milk aggregation and collection infrastructure is essential to achieving self-sufficiency in dairy production,” Abubakar said.

 

Community and Pastoralist Support

Also speaking at the event, Alhaji Babangida Maliya, Chairman of the Shira Local Government Council, expressed his full support for the facility’s success and assured stakeholders of enhanced security and continuous community engagement.

He encouraged pastoralists to supply milk to the centre and emphasized the importance of promoting education among rural dwellers, particularly women and girls, by discouraging farm activities that prevent school attendance.

Maliya noted that while pastoralists play a vital role in boosting the country’s economy, their movement to different settlements was hampering their children’s educational pursuit.

On his part, Alhaji Abdullahi Mustapha, District Head of Disina, expressed gratitude to the federal government for the initiative, saying the development would help settle pastoralists in one place, allowing their children to be enrolled in school.

The traditional ruler commended L&Z Integrated Farms for its role in making the facility a reality, urging herders to take full advantage of the centre by consistently supplying milk to ensure its sustainability.

Umar Muhammad Hassan, Chairman of Miyetti Allah, Shira LGA, described the dairy milk collection centre as a welcome development for the Fulani community, saying the facility would significantly boost economic growth and livelihoods in the area. He pledged their resolve to supply the facility with quality milk.

He also appealed to the state government to establish a nomadic school in the community to ensure children, especially from pastoralist families, have access to conventional education.