Enhancing youth employment through improved milk production and animal feed business in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Nigeria, with the highest population in the region, is facing nutritional insecurity. While milk consumption continues to rise with population growth and the changing lifestyles of average consumers with improved incomes, local dairy production cannot meet the demand unless certain measures are taken, including the promotion of family-based intensive dairy production initiatives. Women and young people play a central role in the Nigerian value chain. Consequently, this project, supported by the Milk Value Chain Foundation (MVCF), will take all the challenges identified into consideration in the implementation of its activities.

The project will add value to milk consumption, generating jobs and income at the project site and for a large and diverse number of other players along the value chain. It will also ensure incremental wealth and its redistribution through the milk value chain for poor and vulnerable pastoral populations, and thus support the strengthening of their resilience. The action will also reduce youth unrest through gainful employment in the local milk value chain. It will promote women's empowerment and rights, good working conditions through the reduction of milk hawking (Milk Maid) and improved household incomes. In addition, the proposed action has the potential to enhance micro- and macro-economic development, notably through agro-industry, while curbing the rising dairy import bill for Kaduna and Nigeria. Implementation of the action will provide additional jobs, increase incomes, reduce underemployment and minimize rural exodus in the region, in addition to reducing the cost of importing milk powder. All this will be achieved by strengthening the capacities of the various players involved.