The governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele has stated that discouraging continuous importation of milk and dairy products could reduce persistent clashes between farmers and herdsmen and help to reduce about $1.5 billion spent annually on importation of milk.

Emefiele stated this at a media briefing on the outcome of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday. According to him, milk, that can be produced locally have been imported into the country for over 60 years with enormous amount of foreign exchange .In his words:

“We believe milk is one of the products that can be produced in Nigeria today. I have asked questions at different forums that we have seen the importation of milk into Nigeria before many of us were born over 60 years ago"

“West African Milk and Friesland Milk have been importing milk into Nigeria for over 60 years. Today, milk imports stand at between $1.2b and $1.5b annually. That is a very high import product, given that it’s a product that we are convinced can be produced here".

The CBN governor believes it does not take much to produce milk than to station the cows in a settlement rather than moving them about, provide them with plenty of water and grass and they will produce plenty of milk.
“What really does it take to produce milk? Get cow and give them plenty of water to drink and let them eat a lot of grass and then position them in a place that they don’t roam about. Such cows get fat and we take milk out of them".

He employs the milk companies in Nigeria and their management to assist the government by supporting the policy. Adding that producing milk locally would held in reducing the persistent clashes between farmers and herdsmen.
Source: www.nigerianbanker.com

What are you going to substitute milk with because this our roaming cows have little to offer.