Nigeria Targets 1.4 Million Tonnes of Annual Dairy Output by 2030

Nigeria turns to Kenya for dairy expertise

Nigeria is seeking to double domestic milk production to 1.4 million tonnes annually by 2030, combining new private investment with an effort to learn from Kenya’s more developed dairy industry. Leadership reported that a delegation from the Commercial Dairy Ranchers Association of Nigeria, or CODARAN, has begun a one-week benchmarking mission in the East African country.

The federal government announced the production target in June 2025. Its proposed roadmap is intended to bring together state governments, private companies, technical partners and pastoral communities to expand both milk production and processing capacity. The Kenyan visit broadens that effort beyond capital expenditure by focusing on operating practices, regulation and market development.

Investment plans approach $750 million

Several large projects have been announced since the target was set. In June 2026, Pure Dairy Herds disclosed plans for a $250 million dairy farm in Ogun State, although it did not provide a production-capacity figure. Baladna, a Qatari agribusiness group, had also announced plans in June 2025 to invest in dairy production and processing in Ogun State without specifying the investment value or intended capacity.

The most detailed proposal is a project valued at nearly $500 million under a memorandum of understanding signed in March 2026 by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority and UK-based asset manager Asset Green Ltd. The project envisages 20,000 hectares of fodder crops, a farm capable of holding 10,000 dairy cows and a processing plant with annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes. If implemented as planned, the plant alone would represent a substantial addition to Nigeria’s domestic processing base.

Kenya offers a higher-productivity model

The Kenya Dairy Board said the Nigerian delegation would examine practices across the value chain, from farm production to marketing. Its priorities include quality standards, regulation, productivity and market development. These areas are important for converting investment in cattle, feed and factories into a consistent supply of milk that processors can purchase at the required quality.

Kenya is the largest milk producer in sub-Saharan Africa. Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, cited by Ecofin Agency, show that the country produced a record 5.5 million tonnes of fresh milk in 2025, an increase of 3.5% from the previous year. Its processors handled 701,500 tonnes during the year, 13.4% more than in 2024. The figures indicate that processed volumes grew considerably faster than total fresh-milk production.

The statistics agency did not identify the reasons for the increase. However, Kenya has implemented a 10-year dairy sustainability roadmap through the Kenya Dairy Board since 2023, with measures aimed at improving farmers’ access to animal feed and veterinary services. The country also wants to double average daily fresh-milk output per cow to nearly 14 liters. Nigeria’s challenge will be to adapt those practices to its own farming conditions and ensure that announced farms, fodder acreage and processing plants translate into reliable commercial supply. Progress toward the 1.4 million-tonne target could strengthen local processors’ access to raw milk and reduce the market’s dependence on imported dairy inputs, although the source did not quantify current import volumes or the expected reduction.