Business
Dairy Manufacturers Seeking Policy Mix To Boost Nigeria’s Over 100 Million Litres of Milk Needs
Dairy manufacturers in Nigeria are requesting the government to put in place a policy mix that will allows them to be importing some of the raw materials while developing the sector through backward integration.
Ben Langat, the Managing Director of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Plc, spoke the minds of the industry’s operators, during a media chat.
” To be able to meet the total dairy nutrition demands in Nigeria, the local milk currently available is still very much inadequate.
So, in my opinion, the model that the country will run will still have a reasonable mix of importation of some of the raw materials, while local content is developed over a period,” he said .
Again, he said : We don’t produce the required machinery locally nor do we produce all raw materials locally; so there will always be something that needs to be imported.
From a milk production point of view, Nigeria has a hot, humid environment which typically is very good for beef cattle and that is why you see a lot of the Fulani cows doing very well.
To grow high milk-yielding cows, you have to put in extra effort and this is what we have been doing for many years. For over 12 years, FrieslandCampina WAMCO has continued to invest in the Nigerian dairy sector as it has been sourcing raw milk locally for manufacturing.
We are also the highest off-taker of fresh milk produced locally from five states in Nigeria (Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo, and Kwara States and also in the north).”
He said that that some of the company’s products are 100 percent locally sourced, however, in terms of the dairy nutrition needs of the country, local milk sourcing is still at a very low level.
” It’s such a big task that we have ahead of us as a nation. That notwithstanding, at FrieslandCampina WAMCO, we want to prove that it is doable, as we source about five million litres of milk per annum locally today. We are the highest so far as no other organisation has reached that number.
Nevertheless, we’re talking about a country that requires more than 100 million litres of milk, so when you do the calculations, you would see that the percentages are still low. There is still a long way to go.
Countries like Kenya and South Africa started local dairy development way back and they have continued on that journey. Nigeria kind of left this topic for a long time and that is why we are still in this phase of backward integration.
He urges the newly inaugurated government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to, consult FrieslandCampina WAMCO on dairy development topics, asserting ” we are a subject matter expert on local milk sourcing and knowledge transfer.
They can engage us on some of these topics leveraging forums like MAN – Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, NECA -Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association as well as the Food and Beverage Associations, and AFBTE, among others.
We are there as industry leaders. Let them consult us before taking sharp policy decisions,” he said.
Business
FedEx founder and former boss Fred Smith dies aged 80
Born in 1944, Mr Smith started FedEx with 389 staff and 14 small planes that carried 186 packages from Memphis to 25 cities within the US.
Image credit: Getty Images
Fred Smith, founder of the US parcel delivery giant Federal Express, has died at the age of 80, the company has announced.
Mr Smith founded the firm in 1973 having previously served in the US Marine Corps.
He ran the company as CEO until 2022.”Fred was more than just the pioneer of an industry and the founder of our great company.
He was the heart and soul of FedEx,” current boss Raj Subramaniam wrote in a memo to staff.
Born in 1944, Mr Smith started FedEx with 389 staff and 14 small planes that carried 186 packages from Memphis to 25 cities within the US.
(BBC)
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is expected to name a new spokesperson soon, following the resignation of the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer (CCCO), Olufemi Soneye.
In a statement made available to the press in Abuja on Saturday, Soneye thanked his former employer and colleagues for their support during his tenure as CCCO.
He stated that his decision to step down was to enable him to devote more time to his family and attend to personal responsibilities that require his closer presence.
The statement read: “Dear Esteemed Colleagues, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to you all for the unwavering support, professionalism, and genuine commitment you’ve shown in helping to shape and amplify the NNPC Ltd story over the past 20 months.
“Your role in building a vibrant and effective communications presence for our national energy company has been nothing short of invaluable.
“I wish to inform you that I have stepped aside from my role as Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd. This decision will allow me to devote more time to my family and attend to personal responsibilities that now require my closer presence.
“It has been a profound honour to serve both the Company and our country and to contribute in my own way to the ongoing transformation of NNPC Ltd.
I am deeply grateful for the trust reposed in me, the opportunities granted, and the incredible professionals—both within and outside the organization—with whom I have worked.
“I remain a steadfast supporter and ambassador of NNPC Ltd wherever I go. I enjoin you, dear colleagues, to continue your robust, balanced, and constructive reportage in support of the Company’s noble mission and strategic role in Nigeria’s energy future.”
Soneye was appointed as NNPCL’s spokesman in October 2023, following a company-wide reorganisation that saw him replace Garba Muhammad.When contacted by Tribune Online, Soneye confirmed the news, saying, “Yes, my bro! E ku weekend.”
Heineken has lost operational control and withdrawn its staff from facilities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), CNN on Saturday quoted that the Dutch brewer announced on Friday.
In March, the company had suspended operations in three eastern cities, citing safety concerns after breweries were damaged and depots raided during clashes between government forces and rebels.
On Friday, Heineken said the situation had worsened. Armed groups have taken control of its sites in Bukavu and Goma—eastern Congo’s largest cities—as well as surrounding areas.
“The conditions required to operate responsibly and safely are no longer present and as of 12th June 2025, we have lost operational control,” it said in a statement.
Heineken’s local unit, Bralima, continues to operate in parts of the country not affected by the fighting. The company said it is monitoring developments closely.
Heineken owns four breweries in the DRC, producing its namesake beer along with local brands such as Primus. It previously said its Bukavu facilities employed about 1,000 people directly and indirectly.
“Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our employees,” Friday’s statement read.
Reuters also reported, “We have withdrawn all remaining staff from these sites and we have continued to support them financially.”
Nearly 14 per cent of Heineken’s total revenue comes from its Middle East and Africa operations, with Congo—home to over 100 million people—a significant market.
Before the suspension, operations in Goma, Bukavu, and Uvira represented roughly one-third of Heineken’s business in the country.
Conflict in eastern Congo has intensified in 2025, with the M23 rebel group making major territorial gains, sparking fears of broader regional instability.
Congo accuses Rwanda of backing M23 with troops and weapons—allegations Rwanda has consistently denied.
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