Fan Milk to Commission Model Dairy Farm in Ogun

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Raheem Akingbolu

Fan Milk, a Danone Company, makers of frozen dairy and ice cream brands, including Super Yogo and Fan Vanille, is set to unveil their newly completed model dairy farm in Odeda, Ogun State on tomorrow. The dairy farm is Danone’s first investment in dairy farming in Sub-Saharan Africa to boost local milk production in Nigeria.

According to the company’s Managing Director, Mr Ferdinand Mouko, the company intended to bring the expertise of its parent company, Danone, to the fore. He explained that the company decided to embark on this project to contribute to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s backward integration policy for the improvement of local milk production and to support the Federal Government’s economy recovery growth plan which aims to improve food self-sufficiency in the country.

He added that the partnership falls in line with the company’s business development strategy and as a responsible corporate citizen. His words:

“Our objective is to ensure that we partner with local dairy farmers in the Odeda community in Ogun State to accelerate the development and expansion of the local dairy market while also creating the social and economic impact of improving the livelihood of the ecosystem within which we operate.”

In his own remarks, Mr Olayinka Akinkugbe, the Chairman of the Board, said the intention to partner with Ogun State followed the company’s close observation of the laudable efforts the Ogun State government has put into supporting and partnering with local and foreign investors. Hence, the partnership with the Ogun State will harness the social and economic potentials of participating in local dairy production.

He added that the company also intended to commission a dairy training institute and a milk collection centre to train local dairy farmers and reduce the importation of milk in Nigeria.

“The Company will leverage the key learnings for piloting its project in Nigeria with Danone’s business expertise, which spans over 100 years being actively involved in the dairy value chain with great success.”

The intention of the company was also to ensure that its dairy backward integration plan would create social impact by supporting the dairy farmers in Ogun State as it continually leverages government’s support and the relevant experience Danone has developed along its journey in Africa.