• Qatar’s Baladna plans dairy farm in Nigeria’s Ogun State, exploring land and feasibility with local officials.
• Project aligns with Nigeria’s goal to double dairy output to 1.4M tons by 2030.
• Nigeria’s $6.6B dairy market offers Baladna a key entry point in Africa.

Qatari agribusiness group Baladna plans to establish a dairy operation in Nigeria’s Ogun State. Aidan Thomas Iynan, the company’s Head of Products and Solutions, announced the plan during a meeting with Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun on Monday, June 23.

The visit aimed to explore land acquisition opportunities and begin discussions with the Ogun state government for feasibility studies. "We can build highly efficient farms with world-class yields, and meet demand not just for dairy, but also for meat and crops," Iynan said.

While the investment’s total cost has not yet been disclosed, the project reflects Baladna’s strategy to expand its footprint in Africa’s dairy market. The company is already active in Algeria, where it launched a $3.5 billion agro-industrial project in Adrar province in September 2024. That operation is set to begin production in 2026. It spans 117,000 hectares and will include a dairy farm and a processing facility with the capacity to produce 200,000 tons of powdered milk annually.

Boosting Nigeria’s Dairy Sector Ambitions

Baladna’s Nigerian project comes as the country works to double its annual dairy production to 1.4 million tons by 2030. On June 3, Nigeria’s Ministry of Agriculture announced new initiatives. These include a roadmap to be finalized by the end of 2025 and the expansion of the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Scheme (NL-GAS).

Authorities are also counting on public-private partnerships with global firms. These include Denmark’s Arla Foods and the Netherlands’ FrieslandCampina, to scale production.

If realized, Baladna’s investment in Ogun State would significantly enhance local production capacity and support the government’s broader growth ambitions in the dairy industry.

For the Qatari firm, the project also offers a strategic opportunity to capture market share in Africa’s most populous country. Nigeria’s dairy market is valued at $6.59 billion in 2025. It is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 10.13% through 2030, according to Statista projections.