Nigeria has embarked on a mission to enhance its dairy industry by seeking lessons from Kenya, the largest milk producer in sub-Saharan Africa. A delegation from the Commercial Dairy Ranchers Association of Nigeria (CODARAN) has begun a one-week benchmarking visit to Kenya. This trip aims to strengthen local production and processing in Nigeria, which has set an ambitious goal to double its domestic milk production to 1.4 million tonnes annually by 2030.
The Nigerian government's plan to boost dairy production involves collaboration with state governments, private companies, technical partners, and pastoral communities to develop a common roadmap for expanding production and processing capacity. Since the announcement, several projects have been unveiled, including a $250 million dairy farm in Ogun State by Pure Dairy Herds, and a nearly $500 million project by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) in partnership with Asset Green Ltd. These initiatives aim to significantly increase Nigeria's dairy production and processing capabilities.
The NSIA project plans to develop 20,000 hectares of fodder crops, build a farm with a capacity for 10,000 dairy cows, and establish a processing plant with an annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes. Additionally, Qatari agribusiness group Baladna has announced plans to invest in dairy production and processing in Ogun State, although details on the project's cost and production capacity have not been disclosed. These investments signal a broader transformation in Nigeria's dairy industry.
The Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) stated that the Nigerian delegation will examine best practices across Kenya's dairy value chain, focusing on quality standards, regulation, productivity, and market development. Kenya's dairy industry has achieved significant milestones, producing 5.5 million tonnes of fresh milk in 2025, a 3.5% increase from the previous year. The country's processing capacity also expanded, with 701,500 tonnes of milk processed in 2025, up 13.4% year on year.
Kenya's success in the dairy sector is attributed to its 10-year dairy industry sustainability roadmap, implemented through the KDB since 2023. The strategy focuses on improving farmers' access to animal feed and veterinary services, with a goal to double average daily fresh milk output per cow to nearly 14 liters. Nigeria's choice of Kenya as a model reflects the East African country's advanced experience in productivity, regulation, quality control, and dairy processing.
The Nigerian delegation's visit to Kenya highlights the importance of knowledge sharing and learning from best practices in dairy production. By adopting Kenya's successful strategies, Nigeria aims to rapidly enhance its own dairy industry. The collaboration between the two countries is expected to yield positive outcomes, contributing to Nigeria's goal of achieving 1.4 million tonnes of dairy production annually by 2030.
The effectiveness of Nigeria's dairy industry transformation remains to be seen, as the country balances capital investment with knowledge acquisition. The benchmarking mission to Kenya provides valuable insights into the complexities of dairy production and processing, which Nigerian producers can leverage to drive growth and sustainability in their industry. The industry's progress will depend on the successful implementation of learned strategies and effective partnerships.
Key points
- Nigeria aims to double its domestic milk production to 1.4 million tonnes annually by 2030.
- Kenya produced 5.5 million tonnes of fresh milk in 2025, a 3.5% increase from the previous year.
- The Nigerian delegation is learning from Kenya's 10-year dairy industry sustainability roadmap.
