Nigeria's annual milk production is 700,000 tonnes. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

With an aim to double milk production over the next five years, Nigeria has begun importing dairy cattle from Denmark, Livestock Minister Idi Maiha announced

While Nigeria is known to have considerable cattle populations, its annual milk production is limited to 700,000 tonnes — less than half of its 1.6 million-tonne demand. As a result, around 60% of the country’s dairy needs are met through imports.

"Our goal is ambitious but achievable," says Maiha. “We aim to double Nigeria's milk production from 700,000 tonnes to 1.4 million tonnes annually in the next five years."

In a further move to modernise the sector, eight new pasture species — the first in nearly five decades — have been registered, while a national strategy for animal genetic resources has been rolled out in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

“With over 20.9 million cattle, 60 million sheep, and 1.4 million goats already, we are not starting from zero — we are building from strength,” Maiha said.

This milestone strengthens Ethiopia’s ability to ensure safety and quality. (Image source: FAO)

The Animal Products and Inputs Quality Testing Center (APIQTC) under the Ethiopian Agricultural Authority (EAA) has officially earned ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation

This milestone strengthens Ethiopia’s ability to ensure the safety and quality of animal products and inputs, prevent and contain the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and safeguard human, animal, and environmental health through a One Health approach.

The accreditation confirms the APIQTC’s technical competence in performing on 13 parameters on veterinary pharmaceutical quality; Aflatoxin residue monitoring in animal source food and feed, and microbiological analysis.

These functions are vital for independently verifying animal products and inputs quality and adherence to international trade requirements and supporting public confidence. In a country where livestock plays a central role in the economy, such capabilities are indispensable for market access, trade, and sustainable agricultural development.

Minister of Agriculture, Girma Amente, said, “ISO accreditation is critical for Ethiopia’s agricultural sustainability and public health security. This international recognition reflects our commitment to quality assurance and our readiness to meet global food safety standards.”

The collaboration marks a pivotal step in bridging science and policy to tackle interconnected health challenges worldwide. (Image source: ILRI)

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has designated the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) as its first Collaborating Centre for One Health, marking a significant recognition of ILRI’s leadership in addressing complex issues at the convergence of animal, human, and environmental health

ILRI, a CGIAR centre co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, maintains headquarters in both Addis Ababa and Nairobi and operates 14 offices throughout Asia and Africa. The institute has a proven track record of applying the One Health approach to tackle pressing challenges in low- and middle-income countries, where the interconnection between animal, human, and environmental health is most pronounced.

Announcing the designation during WOAH’s 92nd General Session, ILRI director general Appolinaire Djikeng stated, “We are honored by WOAH’s designation of ILRI as a Collaborating Centre for One Health. This recognition reinforces our commitment to leveraging livestock research for healthy people, healthy animals and healthy ecosystems. Through our networks across Africa and Asia, ILRI will continue to work with partners to provide the One Health solutions that improve animal health management, drive innovations, mitigate emerging global threats and build sustainable resilience in food systems globally. In addition, ILRI seeks to strengthen the evidence base for addressing climate-related health challenges through the application of a One Health approach.”

With its new status, ILRI will drive research, capacity building, and policy engagement to support WOAH’s global One Health strategy. The centre will prioritise areas such as disease prevention, especially zoonotic and emerging diseases, using surveillance and early warning mechanisms. It will also focus on improving biosecurity and implementing value-chain interventions to lower disease risks, while contributing to epidemiological modelling, socio-economic analysis, and policy development. Climate-resilient strategies will also form a core component of its research agenda to address animal health vulnerabilities stemming from environmental changes.

WOAH director general Emmanuelle Soubeyran, stated, “ILRI’s interdisciplinary approach aligns with WOAH’s vision for One Health. Together, we can transform research into actionable policies and provide more evidence for WOAH international standards to safeguard animal health, trade and global food security. We look forward to working closely with ILRI to advance the One Health agenda and build stronger, more resilient animal health systems globally.”

This partnership represents a significant advancement in linking scientific research with policy to confront increasingly interconnected health challenges around the world.

In partnership with Sistema.bio, Danone is equipping 6,500 smallholder dairy farmers with biodigesters to reduce methane emissions. (Image source: Sistema.bio)

Global leader in biodigestion technology, Sistema.bio recently announced its collaboration with leading food and beverage company, Danone during the 17th edition of the International Agricultural Exhibition in Morocco (SIAM)

Through a memorandum of understanding (MoU), Sistema.bio and Danone aim to support smallholder farmers by introducing biodigesters – a proven manure management solution to mitigate methane emissions, while providing access to renewable energy on-farm. The partnership aims to deploy 6,500 biodigesters by 2030 for smallholder dairy farmers across various geographies, starting with Mexico, Morocco and India.  

These systems convert livestock waste into biogas and organic fertiliser, which can be used as valuable resources at farm level. Overall, this supports reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering production costs, and decreasing reliance on chemical fertilisers. The biodigester’s digestate can also be used as a natural organic fertiliser, which improves soil health and efficient water use, supporting agriculture to be more sustainable and resilient. 

This partnership marks a major step toward decarbonising dairy farming by delivering locally adapted high-impact technological solutions, at the service of the farmers, ultimately empowering local communities to drive meaningful climate action.  The project also aligns with Danone’s Impact Journey toward regenerative and resilient agriculture and ‘Hlib Bladi’ programme, which supports local milk sovereignty and promotes sustainable farming practices in Morocco.