The Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria (ALDDN) programme has made significant strides in the country's dairy sector, enrolling over 63,000 smallholder dairy farmers and facilitating the supply of fresh milk to processors. The programme, which began in 2020 and was implemented in seven states, including Adamawa, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, and Taraba, was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and implemented by Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition Limited.
According to Temi Adegoroye, Managing Partner of Sahel Consulting, a total of 63,261 farmers were directly enrolled and linked to the formal dairy supply chain. The farmers were organised into 2,663 Self-Help Groups, while 234 cooperatives were formed and registered with the respective state governments to strengthen their capacity to operate as organised dairy producer groups. This development has enabled the farmers to improve their livelihoods and increase their income.
The ALDDN programme has also recorded significant progress in cooperative development, with a 2026 audit showing that the proportion of moderately viable cooperatives increased from 66 per cent to 90 per cent, while non-viable cooperatives declined from 33 per cent to eight per cent. The programme serviced 83,963 cows, exceeding its target of 75,000, while 83,936 cattle were vaccinated against Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP).
In addition to the enrolment of farmers and cooperative development, the programme provided training in Good Dairy Practices to 61,374 farmers, engaged 279 Community Livestock Workers, and cultivated over 4,705 hectares of fodder, surpassing the 4,000-hectare target. The programme also strengthened dairy infrastructure through the provision of eight milk evacuation trucks and 7,676 stainless-steel milk cans.
The ALDDN programme supported the establishment of a solar-powered facility at Sebore Farms with a processing capacity of 70,000 litres of milk per day, while 75 solar-powered boreholes were installed across 74 communities. This development has improved the dairy value chain and increased access to clean water for farmers and their livestock.
According to Mustapha Musa, Senior Programme Officer at Sahel Consulting, the intervention strengthened livestock production by linking organised pastoralist cooperatives with milk processors, including L&Z. The programme transformed over 150 small pastoralist groups in Kano into 24 larger cooperatives, while farmers received training on animal nutrition, milk production, livestock health, and artificial insemination.
The ALDDN programme has had a significant impact on the livelihoods of farmers, with one beneficiary, Hawwa’u Abubakar from Bunkure Local Government Area, stating that the programme brought a major change to her dairy business. She said the direct supply arrangement with L&Z had removed the difficulty of taking milk to the market, as the company now collects the milk from her doorstep, enabling her to earn between ₦100,000 and ₦150,000 within a few days.
Key points
- The ALDDN programme enrolled 63,261 smallholder dairy farmers and facilitated the supply of over 15 million litres of fresh milk to processors.
- The programme strengthened dairy infrastructure and improved access to clean water for farmers and their livestock.
- The programme had a significant impact on the livelihoods of farmers, increasing their income and improving their dairy businesses.
