Nigeria trains 100 small dairy farmers in Oyo to raise local milk output

Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has trained 100 small-scale dairy farmers in Ibadan, Oyo State, as part of an effort to strengthen the dairy sector and improve local milk production. Punch reported the initiative on May 11, citing an official ministry statement. For a country trying to reduce reliance on imported dairy products, the programme matters as more than a training event: it is part of a wider livestock development push.

According to the ministry, the training focused on practical knowledge for dairy farming, including husbandry best practices, sustainable milk production, milk collection and processing. The curriculum also covered improved pasture development, feed conservation, breed improvement, feeding practices for milking cows, herd health management and milk handling. That gives the programme clear production relevance rather than just a policy message.

Through the statement, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Livestock Development Idris Ajimobi said the initiative was critical to improving farmer capacity and boosting national dairy output. He linked it to a broader self-sufficiency agenda in livestock production and argued that lasting transformation begins by empowering farmers at the grassroots. In other words, the government is treating small dairy operators as a base for expanding domestic supply.

Florence Kalulu, the Oyo State coordinator of the ministry, described smallholder dairy farmers as the backbone of local milk production but also pointed to structural constraints across the sector. She listed low productivity, poor animal health management, inadequate hygiene practices and limited access to modern techniques among the main problems holding dairying back. Addressing those issues, she said, should improve the quality, safety and profitability of milk production.

The ministry tied the programme to the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy, which aims to increase productivity, improve livelihoods, reduce import dependence and strengthen food and nutrition security. The training also came with physical support for participants, who received inputs including heifers, feed and salt licks to improve their operations. That makes the intervention more concrete than a classroom-only exercise.

The story also highlighted inclusion and generational renewal in the dairy sector. Women in Dairy Production Association president Racheal Eyitayo-Ariori welcomed the government’s focus on dairy and called for stronger inclusion of women, while participant Moyosore Olatunde urged greater youth involvement. Taken together, the Oyo training programme shows how governments facing rising demand for animal protein are trying to combine productivity gains, rural livelihoods and import substitution in the dairy economy.

Agronom.Info