The Doguwa communities in Kano State have
applauded Outspan Nigeria Limited, the dairy business unit of Olam Food
Ingredients (ofi), for its expansive
investment in the area, targeted at achieving large-scale development of the
local dairy value chain.
At the opening of the latest Milk Collection
Centre (MCC) on February 23, 2022 in Falgore, Doguwa LGA bankrolled by Outspan,
representatives of the communities under the local government area said the
investment would stimulate a robust local economy, create linkages for
smallholder dairy farmers and generate jobs in the area.
Mamuda Hudu, the chairman of Doguwa LGA, was
delighted by the prospect of local dairy farmers and the women in the area
gaining access to new markets and opportunities to sell their milk to large
industrial off-takers instead of trekking to distant towns to peddle their
products.
“Outspan Nigeria Limited is making an
impactful investment in our communities by building a milk collection centre in
Doguwa LGA. The collection centre will enhance the economic activities of our
local dairy farmers and help our young people get jobs in the dairy value
chain,” Hudu said
“Our women who previously trekked miles to
sell their milk in distant markets can now stay home and look after their
children with the assurance that the milk collection centre would help preserve
and transport their raw milk to larger off-takers who are ready to pay them
accordingly.”
In the same vein, Alhaji Hamza Ahmed Hamza,
the traditional head, Falgore village, thanked Outspan for locating an MCC in
the village. “The dairy value chain development initiative will create
opportunities that would help improve the livelihoods of residents within our
village,” Hamza said.
Outspan Nigeria Limited has now opened five
milk collection centres in Kano. The other collection centres are located in
Dawanau, Imawa, Dan-Hassan and Tasa.
Mr Manish Khede, the Regional Manager,
Outspan Nigeria Limited, explained, “We will continue to support the local
dairy value chain to ensure the country achieves self-sufficiency in milk
production. We have a track record of working with local farmers to enhance
their productivity and income levels while broadly enriching the agriculture
value chain, in line with the government economic development agenda.”
Khede promised that the business will not
relent in scaling its support for the smallholder dairy farmers, as the value
chain investment plans are being executed in phases.
Meanwhile, Garba Aminu, a representative of
the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), who was also at the launch, emphasized the
apex bank’s commitment to providing the necessary assistance to businesses and
smallholder farmers in a bid to fast track the attainment of food production
self-sufficiency in the country.
Other dignitaries at the event include Usman
Abdullahi Usman, Chairman of Kano Dairy Union; Alh. Abdullahi Zakari, district head,
Doguwa LGA; Abba Gana Yamani, a director at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture;
Sanusi Saidu, the Councilor for Falgore ward; and Ardo Manya, the Head, Kubau
LGA, Kaduna State.
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