Nigeria partners Uganda to import dairy products

NIGERIA – Nigeria has solidified its partnership with Uganda to import dairy products in an agreement confirmed during former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo’s visit to Uganda.

During the visit, the president toured Pearl Dairy Farms in Mbarara and expressed Nigeria’s willingness to buy processed Ugandan milk. 

Obasanjo noted that Nigeria has long imported dairy from Europe, but with Uganda producing 5.7 billion liters of milk annually, sourcing milk from Africa presents a more strategic option.

The partnership comes as Nigeria grapples with a significant dairy production shortfall. 

According to Sabi Abdullahi, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, the country consumes 1.6 billion liters of milk annually but fails to meet 60% of this demand, leading to $1.5 billion in yearly dairy imports. 

This shortfall has also contributed to widespread nutritional deficiencies, with two million Nigerian children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), a condition worsened by inadequate access to animal-source foods like milk.

Uganda, Africa’s leading milk exporter, stands to benefit greatly from this arrangement. Despite recent challenges, including Kenya’s ban on Ugandan powdered milk to protect its local producers, Uganda’s dairy industry continues to expand. 

In 2023, Uganda’s dairy export value reached $264.5 million, with milk exports remaining a critical part of East African trade.

President Museveni expressed confidence in Uganda’s ability to meet both local and international demand. He emphasized the need for farmers to adopt more efficient practices, such as zero-grazing and silage use, to boost production further. 

Meanwhile, he noted that the government is also working to address livestock diseases, with a tick vaccine in advanced stages of development aimed at increasing milk output.

This partnership strengthens trade ties between Nigeria and Uganda, provides a sustainable solution for Nigeria’s dairy deficit, and offers Uganda expanded market opportunities. 

According to Dairy Business Africa Magazine, Nigeria’s dairy industry has been a cornerstone of the country’s agricultural sector and provides essential nutritional value. 

According to United Nations data, the population exceeded 227.9 million as of April 2024 and is projected to reach 401.31 million by 2050, so the demand for milk and dairy products is expected to rise significantly.

However, the domestic dairy sector needs to be more cohesive and meet this growing demand.

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