CBN seeks expedite land allocation for dairy plants

Sequel to the ban on dairy food importation into Nigeria, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has solicited expedite the allocation of land to three companies, which have expressed interest to establish milk processing factories in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The request was made yesterday, in Abuja, when the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, led officials of the three companies to the office the FCT Minister, Muhammed Musa Bello. 

The three companies are: Wamco FrieslandCampina, Nestle Nigeria Plc, and L and Z.

Emefiele explained that “The establishment of these companies in the FCT will drive industrialisation, stimulate local production of milk, and hence the development of the local dairy sector, boost employment generation, facilitate linkages along the dairy sector in Nigeria, and ultimately conserve enormous foreign exchange that would be required for importation.

“Nestle Plc and FrieslandCampina have signified interest to establish milk processing factories in the FCT, and the CBN is ready to work with them to actualise the deliverable of these projects. We, therefore, request you to please assist in the allocation of land in FCT expeditiously.”

Responding, the FCT Minister expressed delight at the planned investments in Abuja and promised that land will be allocated to them without delay.

He said: “I assure you we will provide you the needed support. I, personally, will like to apologise to the three companies and for maybe this matter with respect to your desire to invest in the FCT shouldn’t have taken this long, but as you know when we came in as an administration we had to just choose our battles during my first tenure. We concentrated on improving infrastructure within the city itself; of course, we trying to improve on the institutional capacity of the various departments of the FCT.” 

Recall that Emefiele has been championing the Nigerian Government’s backward integration and import substitution programme, to boost local production capacity to create jobs for the teeming unemployed Nigerian youths, while also checking the high demand for foreign exchange to import goods that can be produced locally.

According to him, some of the companies have already even secured facilities from banks to buy machinery, but due to the non-availability of site, the facilities were lying fallow with the banks.

Emefiele had earlier told Bello that: “Our various collaborative efforts by the CBN and the private sector have started yielding significant results, with resultant deliberate measures by private firms to embrace the backward integration measures and boost job creation and industrialisation locally.”

“One of these measures is the partnership with milk importing companies to develop the local dairy sector, and harness its potential in the interest of the nation. This strategic partnership commenced with the Niger State Government allocating 31,000 hectares of land to milk companies within the Bobi Grazin Reserve, to develop the local dairy breeds for enhanced milk collection, and also integrate the local pastoralist and ultimately curb the farmers-herders crisis.

“In furtherance to this initiative, is the additional resolve by some milk producing companies to establish milk processing factories in the FCT, as it offers a unique environment for industrialisation and also easy access to raw materials from the entire North-Central zone of the country.”