Osinbajo
made this remark while receiving a delegation from FrieslandCampina led
by its global Chief Executive Officer, Mr Hein Schumacher in the State
House.
A
statement by the vice-president’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, canvassed
the need for Friesland to do more on dairy production by setting
timeline for itself.
“I think that Friesland needs to, on its own, do something because there is really no incentive for backward integration.
“I
think that there is a need for you to do more in terms of local
production and set some timelines. Maybe after six years, you should be
doing 70 per cent and not 10 per cent.
“My
view is that if we go at the current rate it will be extremely
difficult for the local producers to move up,” he quoted him as saying
Akande also said Osinbajo tasked his guests on the need to develop a robust plan to improve local production across the country.
He
quoted him further: “The plan of extending the dairy development
programme to other states is extremely important. I just think that
backward integration is just so crucial. My worry is the lack of
incentives for backward integration.
“As
part of the backward integration, a programme of how to put the farmers
in a position where they are able to produce more should be put in
place.
“There should be a very robust plan to encourage cattle breeders to actually increase yields so that we
can say, after a particular period, 70 per cent of products should be
locally produced but the problem, I must say, is still the lack of
incentives.”
The
statement added that Osinbajo assured the company of federal
government’s preparedness to give it the needed support to actualize its
business objectives as he advocated better synergy between the public
and private sector.
The statement also said earlier in his remarks, Schumacher recalled that the company which was established
in Nigeria in 1973, had developed the plan to grow Nigeria’s local
dairy industry through a small holder farmer dairy programme.
According
to the statement, the CEO appealed to the federal government to support
the company’s development plan by improving infrastructure in its
operational base in Oyo State and also providing tax incentives for its
new investments.
Members
of the delegation included the Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr
Robert Petri, the Chairman of the FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria, Mr.
Jacob Ajekigbe and other management staff of the company.
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