Success Stories

The Nigerian dairy sector still faces multiple challenges that hamper productivity across the value chain, resulting in an inadequate supply of dairy products in the market from the local industry. …

To address those challenges and create a path forward for the dairy industry, Mr. Dianabasi Akpainyang, the Executive Director of CODARAN (the Commercial Dairy Ranchers Association of Nigeria), … is designing and implementing the Dairy Skill Development in Nigeria Programme (CODUNDSKILL) in collaboration with the University of Abuja. This ongoing program, which started in October 2024, seeks to train at least 50 dairy industry operators per quarter on dairy business management through a series of quarterly dairy development webinars. …

These webinars focus on training and developing skilled manpower in the various segments of the dairy value chain using the expertise of the Centre for Dairy Studies of the University of Abuja, Nigeria. …

Dr. George Uzoaga, Director of Veterinary Public Health & Epidemiology at the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development in Abuja, Nigeria, is a 2022 Cochran fellow and was able to see firsthand the highly advanced operations of the U.S. livestock industry, with a special emphasis on dairy and beef production and most importantly on operationalization of embryo transfer and genomic selection for best outcomes in animal breeding programs. …

His efforts along with those of other colleagues culminated in the creation of a new Nigerian Federal Ministry of Livestock Development in July 2024 and the appointment of a Minister who is a renowned dairy farmer in Kaduna State. …

Dr. Uzoaga has actively participated in the development of a livestock growth strategy to increase investment in the sector from the present $32 billion to $74 billion in the next 5 to 7 years. …