Only 16 per cent of milk consumed in Nigeria is produced locally, according to Tetra Pak, a food processing and packaging company.
This, it said, results in the country spending about $1.5billion annually on dairy products importation.
To help address the situation, Tetra Pak, a world leader in sustainable paper-based packaging, is executing initiatives that tie into the Federal Government’s goal of producing 50,000 metric tonnes of milk locally within the next 12 months.
It is committed to contributing to the development of a self-sustaining dairy production ecosystem in Nigeria.
Tetra Pak, in a statement by the Managing Director of its West Africa business, Mr Oshiokamele Aruna, while announcing the new initiatives, reiterated its global commitment to sustainable dairy development, as guided by the UN sustainable development goals.
According to him, with the expected rise in demand for dairy products around the world and especially across Africa, it was incumbent upon Tetra Pak, as a responsible organisation, to focus its energies in this direction.
He said: “Given the economic, social and health advantages of local milk production, overcoming the present barriers are of the highest priority.
“Tetra Pak’s donations of Solar-powered boreholes and stainless-steel milk collection containers to selected dairy farming communities in Nigeria solves two big and immediate problems.
“These communities need access to clean water for themselves and their cattle to ensure that they stay healthy and that milk production can remain steady.
“Once the milk is collected, it needs to be transported quickly and hygienically, from the communities to local dairy hubs, to avoid spoilage and waste.”
Aruna added that as a sustainability-driven global organisation, Tetra Pak believes in positively impacting the communities and countries it operates in.
He said the company is committed to its long-term goal of achieving a zero-waste-to-landfill milestone through its post-use school-based recycling programme, which educates future leaders on the importance of recycling.