Jigawa Seeks Partnership with India’s NDDB to Transform Dairy and Livestock Sector

The Jigawa State Government has begun moves to establish a strategic partnership with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) of India aimed at strengthening livestock development and expanding dairy production across the state.

Governor Umar Namadi disclosed this while receiving a high-level delegation from the NDDB led by Rajesh O. Gupta during a courtesy visit to the Government House in Dutse.

The visit followed the governor’s earlier engagement with dairy institutions in India during an official trip last year, where discussions on possible collaboration to transform Jigawa’s livestock sector first began.

Welcoming the delegation, Namadi described the visit as a major step toward strengthening agricultural development and repositioning the livestock sector to improve the livelihoods of farmers and pastoral communities in the state.

He noted that the climatic similarities between India and Nigeria provide a strong opportunity for Jigawa to adopt some of India’s successful dairy development models.

According to the governor, India’s cooperative-driven dairy system has helped the country become the world’s largest milk producer. Jigawa, he said, hopes to replicate aspects of the model to boost local production.

Namadi emphasized the importance of improving livestock genetics through cross-breeding and artificial insemination to increase milk yield from local cattle.

He also assured the NDDB delegation of the state government’s commitment to knowledge transfer and capacity building, including plans to send local scientists and extension workers to India for specialized training.

Earlier, Gupta said the NDDB team’s two-day field assessment in Jigawa provided useful insights into existing livestock practices and opportunities for dairy development.

He added that India currently produces about 247 million metric tons of milk annually and expressed readiness for technical cooperation and pilot dairy projects in the state.