By Vanessa Obioha
Three new partners have partnered with the Centre for Nigerian Dutch Dairy Development (CNDDD) to deliver a sustainable national dairy sector and value chain in Nigeria.
The announcement was made at a recent webinar organised by FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC and the University of Abuja, the founders of the Centre.
“We are glad to announce three new partners to the Centre. The partners include the Toward Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness through Learning in Entrepreneurship (2SCALE) programme, a business incubator led by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) that manages a portfolio of public-private partnerships for inclusive business in agri-food sectors and industries; Rabobank, a leading global food and agri bank that dedicates its knowledge, networks, and financial solutions to helping to solve global food problems through cooperation; and Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands, which trains high-quality, ambitious and innovative professionals who contribute to a more sustainable world,” said the Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Ore Famurewa.
She added that more partners who share their vision will join in the coming months.
CNDDD is Nigeria’s first national expertise Centre for Dairy Development and it is committed to unlocking and developing dairy expertise for all stakeholders in the Nigerian dairy sector.
The Centre seeks to drive a homegrown model for the entire dairy value chain in Nigeria as it partners with stakeholders including the government, universities and dairy value chain professionals.
The Chairman of the Board, CNDDD, Ben Langat, in his opening address said: “For a strong sustainable dairy sector to emerge, we do need to build local expertise and strengthen relevant institutions to be self-sufficient in shaping the Nigerian dairy industry. The CNDDD is pulling together these value chain actors to work together and with the right support from expert partners.”
At the webinar themed ‘Harnessing the Great Unpolished Diamond of Africa’, the Chief Operating Officer of URUS, Keith Heikes, highlighted best practice case study of Brazil’s ‘Transition in Cattle Breeding’, while the Head of Animal Science Dept., Nasarawa State University, Prof. Mohammed Ari, covered ‘Breeding and the Importance of Feed’.
