TETFUND’s Boss decries unacceptable condition of Nigeria dairy sector
The Executive Secretary, TETFUND, Prof. Elias Suleiman Bogoro, has raised concerned about the Nigeria dairy sector, saying the situation of the dairy sub sector in Nigeria as at date is laggard, challenging and unacceptable but prosperity abound if research and development is mainstreamed across the value chain.
According to the Blueprint, Bogoro stated this while delivering a keynote address with the theme: “Reclaiming Nigeria’s Laggard Livestock Subsector: A Modern Dairy Value Chain in Perspective,” at the 9th ASAN-NIAS joint annual meeting in Abuja recently, adding that the pathway to sustainable production of dairy product in Nigeria, can be retooled using the interventions of research and development outcomes to improve each of the functional strategic components of the value chain listed above.
“There exist nowadays biotechnologies and digital solutions that can fast track the development of the Nigeria’s dairy sector towards being globally competitive.
Reinventing the wheels and copy and paste R&D interventions will be a time waster hence, the need for researcher here today to lead the required technological revolution towards achieving Nigeria’s sustainable dairy sub sector.
“It is not an overstatement that as many as 50% citizens of Nigeria have not got access or taste fresh milk in their life time.
The dairy products known as milk by many Nigerians are reconstituted evaporated milk and powdered milk that are repackaged after some industrial processes to attain long term preservation potentials.
This present trend has both overtly and covertly impact on the growth and health status of many Nigerians translating to limited capacity for engaging in critical thinking, memory capabilities, strength and immunity.”
Meanwhile the Nigeria Institute of Animal Science Animal Science (NIA) has inducted 150 new members into it ranks as registered animal scientist.
The Registrar/ Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Eustace Ayamere Iyayi, said said the institute is targeting graduate animal scientists so as to groom them into productive groups with incentives that would encourage them to take the sector as a business.
