Nigeria spent N28 billion on importation of milk in Q1 – NBS

The Nigeria Bureau of Statistics has revealed that Nigeria has spent N28 billion on the importation of milk into the country in the first quarter.

The first quarter capital flight on milk importation was contained in the National Bureau of Statistics ‘Foreign Trade Statistics’ report, which was obtained by journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.

This is irrespective of being Africa’s fifth largest cattle herd, the report said, a humongous sum of Nigeria spent over N27.664 billion on milk imports in the first three months of the year.

The revelations were revealed by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its ‘Foreign Trade Statistics,’ which was obtained

According to the report, the bulk of the commodity, which is labeled “milk preparations containing vegetable fats/oils, powdered/granular, packing,” was acquired from Ireland for N16.1 billion, followed by Malaysia for N5.5 billion, Germany for N4.8 billion, and France for N1 billion.

Despite the fact that the figure was N4 billion less than what was purchased in Q4 2021, the reduction is insufficient for the federal government to meet its goal of prohibiting the commodity importation this year.

Nigeria has a population of (76 million), sheep (43.4 million), and cattle (43.4 million), according to the United Nations Food Organization’s website (18.4 million).

However, the northern section of the country has a higher proportion of these creatures than the southern region.

Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono indicated in 2020 that the federal government planned to restrict milk imports by 2022 as a result of the ministry’s efforts to ensure the availability of resources for local production.

Nanono has proposed for the creation of a National Dairy Policy that will lay out a clear path and strategies for achieving the aim.