Landmark partnership to strengthen dairy productivity, technical capacity, and value chain modernization
The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development of Nigeria and Nestlé Nigeria Plc have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Dairy Technical Skills Development Centre in Abuja, marking a strategic step toward strengthening the country’s dairy sector through structured capacity building, technology transfer, and value chain development
The initiative is designed to enhance technical competencies across Nigeria’s dairy ecosystem, improve on-farm productivity, and support the long-term transformation of the livestock sector through practical, skills-based training and demonstration-led learning models.
The planned centre will be hosted at Nestlé’s Dairy Demonstration Farm in Paikon Kore, Gwagwalada, building on the company’s existing livestock development initiatives that focus on improving milk production systems, strengthening dairy cooperatives, and enhancing hygiene and herd management practices at farm level.
The facility will serve as a national hub for dairy skills development, offering structured training programmes covering key areas such as animal health, breeding practices, feed optimization, milk hygiene, farm management, and post-production handling. The objective is to address long-standing structural constraints in Nigeria’s dairy sector, including low productivity, fragmented production systems, and limited technical capacity among smallholder producers.
The partnership aligns with Nigeria’s broader livestock development priorities aimed at improving domestic milk production, enhancing food security, and reducing dependency on dairy imports through increased local capacity and improved supply chain efficiency.
Speaking on the initiative, stakeholders emphasized that the collaboration represents a coordinated effort between government and the private sector to build a more resilient, productive, and commercially sustainable dairy industry. The centre is expected to play a key role in equipping farmers and sector participants with modern technical knowledge and practical tools required to improve output quality and operational efficiency.
Nestlé Nigeria reiterated its long-standing commitment to dairy development in the country, highlighting its focus on strengthening local milk production systems through training, knowledge transfer, and support for cooperative-based collection models. The company noted that the new centre builds on its ongoing investments in livestock development aimed at improving productivity and supporting rural livelihoods.
The Dairy Technical Skills Development Centre is expected to contribute to the emergence of a more structured and integrated dairy value chain in Nigeria, fostering improved standards, greater efficiency, and enhanced competitiveness within the domestic milk sector.
