CBN Meets FCT Minister For Land Allocation To Three Dairy Firms
AMINA HUSSAINI, Abuja.
The Central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN) Monday went further on its dairy policy by facilitating land allocation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for three of the six firms allowed to import milk into the country.
The three companies that are seeking a presence in the FCT are Nestle, WAMCO Friesland Campino and L &Z Integrated Farms.
The three are part of the six companies the apex bank recently allowed to import milk into the country. Others are Chi Limited; TG Arla Dairy Products Limited and Promasidor Nigeria Limited.
At a meeting with the FCT minister Bello Mohammed, CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele said the establishment of the companies in the FCT will drive industrialization, stimulate local production of milk and hence develop the local dairy sector, boost employment generation, facilitate linkages along the dairy sector in Nigeria and ultimately conserve enormous foreign exchange that would be required by other sectors for importation.
The CBN met with the FCT minister to fasttrack the allocation of land with titles to the three companies that have requested for land to established dairy processing palnts in the FCT.
“Nestle Plc and Friesland Campina Plc have signified interest to establish Milk processing factories in the FCT and the CBN is ready to work with them to actualize the deliverable of these projects. We therefore request you to please assist in the allocation of land in FCT expeditiously.
Emefiele said the various collaborative efforts between the CBN and the private sector has started yielding significant results with resultant deliberate measures by the private firms to embrace the backward integration measures and boost job creation and industrialization locally.
“One of these measures is the partnership with milk importing companies to develop the local dairy sector and harness its potential in the interest of the nation.
CBN’s strategic partnership commenced with Niger State Government allocating 31,000 hectares of land to milk companies within the Bobi Grazin Reserve to develop the local dairy breeds for enhanced milk collection and also integrate the local pastoralist and ultimately curb the farmers-herders crisis.
Further to this initiative is the additional resolve by some milk producing companies to establish milk processing factories in the FCT as it offers a unique environment for industrialization and also easy access to raw materials from the entire North-Central zone of the country.
The FCT Minister, Muhammed assures the CBN Governor to provide the necessary support while also apologising
“If you compare the FCT with Niger state, for instance, you will realize that what is available here is quite small and relative to what you can get elsewhere because Niger state being the largest state in Nigeria is really quite massive so we will provide the needed land but where we have competitive advantage I think is being able to give you facilities where you can process’.
“Basically this is well-positioned but in terms of massive hectares of land probably that will be a challenge but in terms of land for processing, I think it is something we can do. I do know that what Nestlé requires is not much from the letter I have seen is about 2000 hectares, I think we can work with that”he concluded.
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