As World Food Day (WFD) is being celebrated across the globe, Outspan Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of
ofi (olam food ingredients) has reiterated its commitment to the Federal Government’s food value chain
and economic development agenda. According to a statement released recently by the dairy business, a
strong pivot to a deeper value chain development effort is key to scaling local production of food.
World Food Day is celebrated on October 16th. The theme for this year's commemorative event is "Safe
food today for a healthy tomorrow". The event provides ample opportunities for businesses and
governments to reaffirm their commitment to, and promote actions targeted at, ending hunger in the
world.
Outspan Nigeria has been implementing various BIP (Backward Integration Program) initiatives in the
dairy sector. Its initiative, tagged ‘Milk Mission’, combines a robust public-private partnership (PPP)
strategy and unyielding focus on the Federal Government’s sectored development agenda to reposition
the dairy sector.
Speaking on Outspan Nigeria’s value chain development efforts, in commemoration of World Food Day
2022, Praveen Paulsamy, the Vice President of ofi Dairy in Nigeria, said “We are firmly focused on
driving the actualization of the Federal Government’s food value chain and economic development
agenda in the dairy sector. This valuable growth focus is critical to raising the food security level and
stimulating economic growth in the country.”
"Therefore, our current value chain development initiatives, especially the ‘Milk Mission’, encapsulate
our absolute commitment to raising the productivity level in the dairy sector while engendering a
performance scale that would push the sector towards fulfilling its economic contributory potential. All
our BIP initiatives address the niggling issues such as low productivity level, poor cattle health, the
dearth of wider cold chain services, inefficient logistics systems, and low exposure to modern agronomic
practices which are stifling growth in the dairy sector”, he added.
Paulsamy stated further that Outspan Nigeria is partnering with the Kano Dairy and Livestock Husbandry
Cooperative Union (KADALCU) to execute its value chain development efforts. Through that partnership
collaboration effort, the business has been able to locate four Milk Collection Centres (MCCs) close to
the smallholder dairy farmers in Kano state. The centres are equipped with adequate cooling systems
that are powered by off-grid equipment. It has also provided transportation and cooling systems to
ensure the quality of the raw milk produced in the region is preserved and optimized for industrial use.
On the importance of milk and dairy products to efforts at allaying the threat of hunger and food
insecurity, Paulsamy said: “Milk and dairy products are high in macronutrients like carbohydrates, fats
and proteins, as well as vital micronutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin B12, calcium and magnesium.”
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