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Uche Usim, Abuja
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, on Monday led major dairy products manufacturers to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Mohammed Musa Bello, in search of land for production plants.
The move was consistent with CBN’s plans to ban the importation of milk and dairy products like yogurt, cheese and other derivatives, which currently gulp an estimated $1.5billion annually.
The search for new factory sites is coming as the apex bank recently cleared six companies, including FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria; Chi Limited; TG Arla Dairy Products Limited; Promasidor Nigeria Limited; Nestle Nigeria PLC (MSK only) and Integrated Dairies Limited to continue importing milk pending when local production fully takes off.
Speaking at the event, Emefiele said the companies had operated in Nigeria for several decades and have shown sufficient willingness to invest in Nigeria to create jobs and help conserve foreign exchange spent on milk importation.
He said: “l am here to seek your intervention to fast-track the allocation of land with titles to three companies that have requested for land to establish dairy processing plants in the FCT. These companies are WAMCO Friesland Campino, Nestle Nigeria PLC and L and Z.
Nestle Plc and Friesland Campina Plc have signified interest to establish milk processing factories in the FCT and the CBN is ready to work with them to actualise the deliverable of these projects.
“The various collaborative efforts by the CBN and the private sector have started yielding significant results with resultant deliberate measures by the private firms to embrace the backward integration measures and boost job creation and industrialisation locally.
“This strategic partnership commenced with Niger State Government allocating 31,000 hectares of land to milk companies within the Bobi grazing Reserve to develop the local dairy breeds for enhanced milk collection and also integrate the local pastoralist and ultimately curb the farmers-herders crisis.
“In furtherance to this initiative is the additional resolve by some milk producing companies to establish milk processing factories in the FCT as it offers a unique environment for industrialization and also easy access to raw materials from the entire North-Central zone of the country.
“The establishment of these companies in the FCT will drive industrialisation, stimulate local production of milk and hence development of the local dairy sector, boost employment generation, facilitate linkages along the dairy sector in Nigeria and ultimately conserve enormous foreign exchange that would be required for importation”, he explained.
In his remarks, Mr Mohammed Musa Bello, the FCT Minister, assured Emefiele and the milk producing firms of making land available to set up their factories.
