MACBAN Berates Nigeria’s Annual Milk Importation at $1.7bn
Gilbert Ekugbe
The National President of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Mr. Baba Ngelzarma, has revealed that Nigeria spends around $1.7 billion yearly in the importation of processed milk into the country.
It, therefore, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to end milk importation due to its huge burden on the country’s exchange rate at a period the country’s naira is losing its value to the American dollar.
According to him, the livestock sector has not and never received the needed attention from the federal government, insisting that the only support the group (MACBAN) have gotten is vaccination of cows.
He, therefore, called on the federal government to pay more attention to the dairy industry through budgetary allocation.
Ngelzarma said: “The aspect of livestock production, marketing, transportation, and processing among others is left in the hands of the pastoralists; the entire value chain of cattle is not harnessed by the government.
“Nigeria has the largest population of livestock compared with neighboring countries, yet we produce less milk due to neglect of the sector. Livestock will contribute significantly to Nigeria’s GDP with the government’s support.”
He further stated that if the sector received the attention it deserved, the nation could become a major hub for milk exports and other value chains in the livestock industry.
Ngelzarma highlighted that the current state of the cattle business in the country is making a modest contribution to stimulating the economy.
He further explained that with the right focus, the sector has the potential to significantly boost the agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The MACBAN boss said: “If the sector is well harnessed, it can unlock a lot of employment opportunities in the country considering its huge investment, foreign exchange among others.’’
Speaking on ranching, Ngelzarma argued that ranching, a model borrowed from foreigners, would be difficult for pastoralists in the country to adopt.
