ANALYSIS OF THE EXPERIENCE OF DEVELOPING THE DAIRY INDUSTRY IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

For decades, there have been efforts made to develop the dairy industry in Nigeria, especially in the southwestern area, without any obvious success. This study examined the experiences and identified the strengths and weaknesses of the efforts so far, and suggested strategies for ensuring success in the future. This study surveyed the producers in the industry, government officials, and consumers to provide information as to the state of the industry. The survey was supplemented by analysis of relevant documents, including the histories of nations with flourishing dairy industries. Dairy industries in European, American, and Asian nations evolved over time, focusing on improving indigenous potentials. Dairy industries improved hand in hand with industrialization. Industrialization improved nutritional and health conditions of animals: well-fed animals increasingly expressed their genetic potentials and responded well to breeding objectives. This produced high quality animals and high milk output, and thus overall milk processing achieved high standards in Europe, America, and Asia. The example of these countries shows that as feeding of animals was improved, milk yield increased. Abundant grain production brought about by industrialization and mechanization made the feeding of grains to animals economical. With good feeding and healthcare, animal breeding produced cattle breeds with higher milk yield. All these are a result of the use of knowledge in production. The Nigerian experience has been characterized by indiscriminate importation of foreign animals, poor feeding, high incidence of diseases, loss of animals, and failure of programs. Apparently, Nigeria is disregarding the lessons of history, the necessary and scientific sequence in the development of the dairy industry, and adopting passive technology transfer as a strategy for developing the dairy industry. This explains the failure of Nigeria's industrialization endeavor. This also explains the failure of dairy development programs in Southwestern Nigeria.