Kwara State Targets $150M Dairy Production by 2026

The Kwara State Government, led by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has unveiled an ambitious livestock industrialization agenda aimed at transforming Nigeria's agricultural sector and reducing the country's heavy dependence on dairy imports, valued at $1.5 billion annually. During a press event in Ilorin on Wednesday, Commissioner Oloruntoyosi Thomas disclosed that the initiative targets the production of 100,000 metric tons of milk, estimated to be worth $150 million, by 2026.

The state government aligns its livestock development agenda with President Bola Tinubu's agricultural reform initiatives. The agenda focuses on moving from subsistence livestock practices to a modern commercial model to attract investors and improve product quality.

Nigeria currently faces a dairy deficit, producing only 600,000 metric tons against a demand of 1.7 million metric tons. The initiative includes the establishment of a Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone to support large-scale livestock product processing and enhance local dairy product manufacturing.