World Bank's Anyiro highlights Nigeria's $1.5bn dairy imports

Nigeria is incurring an estimated $1.5 billion each year on dairy imports, despite possessing vast untapped livestock resources, as stated by World Bank agricultural economist Chidozie Onyedikachi Anyiro during the keynote address at the 2026 Animal Science Meeting on November 23, 2026. The conference, organized by the Animal Science Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science, took place at the Monoliza and Recreation Centre in Abuja.

Anyiro described the dairy import bill as a lost economic opportunity and urged for enhanced livestock productivity rather than merely increasing herd sizes. He noted that the livestock sector contributes 2-3% to Nigeria's GDP while employing about 30% of the rural population.

Anyiro also discussed the World Bank-supported Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support project, valued at $500 million, aimed at improving productivity and rural livelihoods across 29 states. Additionally, Idi Maiha, the minister of livestock development, advocated for modern abattoirs to reduce losses from long-distance animal transportation.