Nigeria has a low dairy consumption level at 15 to 20 litres per capita in spite of its health benefits with citizens opting for other staple food, a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) stated.
CHI Limited, a dairy manufacturing firm in Nigeria quoted the report in a statement yesterday. It said: “This is partly attributable to low purchasing power of the average Nigerian household which rank milk and dairy products as non-essential luxuries and prioritise other staple foods such as rice, beans and yam.”
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Towards improving the situation, CHI said it would mark its first Hollandia Dairy Day next Tuesday to drive national discourse on the health and nutrition benefits of dairy consumption.
The day which will be marked through a conference with the theme: “Dairy Nourishment to Support Healthy Living”, is the first of such by a single company.
Chi said the physical and hybrid conference would feature presentations, interviews and panel discussions from health experts and nutritionists as they provided insights and shared perspectives to guide informed decisions about dairy consumption as part of a daily balanced diet.
The company stated that, “By provoking the conversations and stimulating public action/intervention, Hollandia aims to drive consciousness for dairy consumption and its importance to achieving optimum health, and to get many more Nigerians drinking, using and consuming dairy products.
“Dairy foods such as milk and yoghurt contain essential nutrients, including Vitamins A and D, Zinc and Protein which support immune function, especially as Nigeria and other countries battle the COVID-19 pandemic.