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Fan Milk has commissioned its newly completed model dairy farm in Odeda, Ogun State. Fan Milk Plc is part of the Danone group, a leading food company.
The dairy farm, which is Danone’s first investment in dairy farming in Sub-Saharan Africa was commissioned by Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, and the French Ambassador, Madame Emmanuelle Blatmann, in Odeda, Ogun State.
The dairy farm is based on three pillars; the model dairy farm which will incorporate a model, best-in-class dairy farm which shall be replicated across Nigeria in the nearest future, the dairy training institute which is targeted at training and empowering local farmers in the Odeda community.
Governor Abiodun lauded the multimillion-dollar investment as being strategically aligned with the present administration’s drive to foster relationships that enhance internally generated revenue.
He said: “The growth of this project in about a year since the MOU was signed is symbolic of our administration’s commitment to public-private partnerships. We are happy to be part of this success story. I want to assure all stakeholders that our administration will follow up and sustain its commitment to this project by continued support through the Ministry of Agriculture and all other relevant agencies, in order to make good of Fan Milk- Danone’s investment.”
Ferdinand Mouko, the Managing Director Fan Milk Plc reiterated the commitment to growing with Nigeria and ensuring that eventually the company will be able to manufacture its ice cream and frozen yoghurt using milk sourced locally from cattle on the farm, as well as those aggregated from local farmers at the milk collection centre.
He also relayed the projected impact of the dairy farm in Ogun State, which includes empowering 100 farmers in the first year and empowering 500 farmers in the next five years and scale the number of pastoral farmers that currently benefit from Fan Milk Danone’s investment in the state.
Special guests of honour that graced the commissioning event include former President Olusegun Obasanjo, ably represented by Dr. Olusegun Ariyo; Senior Special Adviser to the President on Development Policy, Professor Mohammed Adaya Salisu; Minister of Agriculture ably represented by Engr G O Oseni, Commissioner for Agriculture, Ogun State.
The French Ambassador, Madame Emmanuelle Blatmann commended the company’s investment in the country and reiterated France’s pride at the milestone achievement and the company’s role in opening up more avenues for bilateral relations between France and Nigeria.
The Chairman of Fan Milk Plc, Mr. Olayinka Akinkugbe recognised the support from the Ogun State government as an investor-friendly state that has supported Fan Milk’s response to CBN’s dairy backward integration programme.
He explained that the partnership is one of the major investments of Danone because of the social impact it will have on the host community by training dairy farmers in Ogun state, in line with the company’s efforts to build farmers’ capacity and reiterate its commitment to fostering collaboration across the agricultural value chain, for a sustainable dairy farming and ecosystem.
