Nestlé Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development Partner to Establish Dairy Technical Skills Development CentreNestlé Nigeria Plc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to establish a Dairy Technical Skills Development Centre in Paikon Kore, Gwagwalada, as part of efforts to strengthen technical capacity, improve milk quality, and enhance productivity within Nigeria’s dairy sector.

The Centre, to be located at the Nestlé Dairy Demonstration Farm, builds on the company’s ongoing Livestock Development Project (NLDP). It reflects a deliberate progression of interventions, from the launch of the Demonstration Farm in 2025 to the signing of a Letter of Intent on World Milk Day 2025. Together, these milestones signal the transition from pilot initiatives to full implementation and a more structured, scalable approach to skills development across the dairy value chain.The collaboration will deliver structured training programmes and targeted interventions focused on:• Strengthening on-farm practices across milk production, processing, hygiene, and farm management• Developing industry-relevant technical skills in collaboration with key stakeholders• Improving value chain coordination and milk quality outcomes across local dairy clustersSpeaking at the signing ceremony, Managing Director and CEO of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Wassim Elhusseini, said, “At Nestlé, we have been working over the years to strengthen the dairy value chain in Nigeria. What we have seen is clear, when capability improves, outcomes follow. This partnership with the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development allows us to expand the reach of our structured approach to building the skills required to improve productivity, enhance quality, and support long-term sustainability in the sector.”He added that the company’s investment in dairy development has consistently focused on creating shared value for communities while supporting the growth of a resilient local supply base.Since 2019, the Nestlé Livestock Development Project has been working with dairy communities in Nigeria to improve milk quality, increase productivity, and strengthen livelihoods. To date, the initiative has established 83 dairy cooperatives, benefiting over 3,000 milk producers and aggregating more than 1 million litres of raw milk. More than 2,000 pastoralists have been trained, over 36,744 cattle vaccinated, and key infrastructure introduced to support production.Also speaking at the event, the Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Mukhtar Idi Maiha, said: “Nigeria’s dairy sector holds significant potential, but unlocking it requires stronger technical capability across the value chain. This partnership represents a practical step towards improving productivity and quality, and I commend Nestlé Nigeria for their continued commitment and proven track record through the Nestlé Livestock Development Project, demonstrating what is possible when the right systems are in place. At the Ministry, we are committed to creating an enabling environment that supports investments such as this, ensuring that policy and partnerships work together to drive meaningful impact and build a more resilient and competitive dairy industry.”The Minister noted that the initiative aligns with the objectives of the National Dairy Policy under the National Development Plan, which aims to catalyse growth in the livestock and dairy sectors while enhancing food security and economic opportunity.Following the signing of the MoU, both parties will move into implementation, including finalizing the training framework, preparing the site at the Demonstration Farm, and commencing phased rollout of the programme in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.The Dairy Technical Skills Development Centre will provide a structured platform for training and capacity building, with a focus on developing mid-level technical skills that are critical to the long-term sustainability of the sector. The programme will be implemented in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure alignment with national standards and industry needs.By scaling proven interventions and strengthening technical capability, the partnership contributes to building a more resilient dairy sector that supports livelihoods, strengthens local prod

Lagos, Nigeria – April 20, 2025 — In a bid to provide top-notch financial services across the world, Verve International, Africa’s leading payment card brand, recently announced its membership of two major global payment standards bodies, the NEXO Standards Community and PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) towards securing interoperability, and future-ready payment infrastructure to boost seamless financial transactions amongst its card holders.

The PCI Security Standards Council is the global governing body responsible for setting and overseeing security standards that protect cardholder data across the entire payment ecosystem, including card schemes, banks, processors, merchants, and solution providers. Its standards help ensure that all entities involved in storing, processing, or transmitting card data meet strict security requirements, reducing exposure to fraud, data breaches, regulatory penalties, and operational risk.

By joining PCI SSC, Verve aligns more closely with globally recognised best practices for payment security and gains the opportunity to actively contribute African perspectives to ongoing discussions shaping the future of card data protection worldwide.

Verve has also joined the NEXO Standards community, home to some of the most influential global standards for payment acceptance. NEXO delivers modern, universal, and interoperable messaging standards that enable banks, processors, and payment terminals to communicate in a clear, consistent, and feature-rich manner.

This membership supports Verve’s continued efforts to simplify integration, improve interoperability across markets, and accelerate innovation in payment acceptance, particularly as digital and cross-border transactions expand across Africa and beyond.

Speaking on the development, Vincent Ogbunude, Managing Director, Verve International, said:

“Security, trust, and seamless interoperability remain central to Verve’s mission. Joining the PCI Security Standards Council and the NEXO Standards community strengthens our alignment with global best practices and enhances our ability to deliver secure, scalable, and future-ready payment solutions for our partners and cardholders across Africa and beyond.”

Membership of both PCI SSC and NEXO Standards underscores Verve’s broader strategy to modernise payment infrastructure, reduce technical barriers for issuers, acquirers, and merchants, and support smarter, more secure payment experiences across the continent.

With these affiliations, Verve continues to deepen its role within the global payments ecosystem, contributing to the evolution of standards that underpin secure, reliable, and interoperable digital commerce worldwide.

Lagos, Nigeria – April 14, 2026 – In a bold move set to enhance Nigeria’s edible oil market, Olam Agri
has officially launched Mama’s Pride Soya Oil, a well-refined, heart-healthy cooking oil designed to
meet the evolving nutritional needs of Nigerian households. The launch event, held on Wednesday,
witnessed remarkable market enthusiasm, with trade partners from across the country in attendance.

Speaking at the event, the Africa Head of Edible Oil Processing at Olam Agri, Saurabh Kumar, described
the product as a carefully developed innovation tailored for Nigerian kitchens and homes.

“Mama’s Pride Soya Oil is proudly produced in Nigeria for Nigerians. It is thoughtfully developed as a
product consumers can trust for their everyday cooking. With its superior quality, health benefits, and
long-lasting performance, we are confident it will redefine standards and emerge as a market leader,”
he said.

Kumar further highlighted Olam Agri’s longstanding commitment to Nigeria: “This product reflects our
continuous investment in Nigeria and belief in its potential. It builds on our impressive achievements
across rice, wheat milling, animal feed, and sesame segments. From sourcing soybeans locally to
processing them into high-quality oil, our new edible oil product is built on excellence, sustainability,
and trust.”

Also speaking, Head of Marketing, Bola Adeniji, emphasised the importance of promoting authentic
and healthy edible oil options in Nigeria: “We encourage consumers to choose healthy, non-
adulterated edible oils. Mama’s Pride Soya Oil offers not just quality, but safety and nutrition. We call
on our trade partners and dealers to champion authentic brands and help eliminate adulterated
products from the market for the overall health of Nigerians.”

Adeniji outlined the product’s key features, including fortification with Vitamin A and Omega 3 and 6,
zero cholesterol content, and long-lasting frying performance, ensuring value for money for
consumers.
In his remark, the Managing Director, Wheat Milling Business, Nitin Mehta, described the unveiling as a
defining moment for the business. He said, “This is a historic moment for us. To change the game, we
must offer consumers a high-quality product at an affordable price. Mama’s Pride Soya Oil embodies that vision. After over a year and a half of rigorous product research and development, we are proud to
deliver a product that meets the highest standards.

“We have seen tremendous support from our dealers across our pasta and semolina products, and we
are confident that with their continued partnership, Mama’s Pride Soya Oil will achieve even greater
success in the market.”
Mama’s Pride Soya Oil is now available at retailers nationwide, making it easily accessible to consumers
across Nigeria. The product comes in a variety of convenient SKUs to suit different household and
commercial needs, including PET bottles in 500ml, 1L, and 2L; pouches in 350ml and 1L; and a 25L keg.

The launch of Mama’s Pride Soya Oil follows strong engagements with the soy farmer community and
the government, as well as the opening of Olam Agri’s US$50 million state-of-the-art soybean crushing
plant and feed mill complex in Ilorin, Kwara State. The soybean crushing plant, which serves as the
largest in sub-Saharan Africa with a processing capacity of 250,000–350,000 metric tonnes annually,
supports local soybean production. This is supplying Olam Agri’s feed-milling unit and its edible oil unit
subsidiary, Ruyat Oil, which specialises in processing and refining various vegetable oils for the Nigerian
market.

Olam Agri, which specialises in food, feed and fibre, is committed to a fully integrated
approach—working closely with farmers through structured support systems, improving yields, and
producing and processing locally. This captures the agribusiness’s focus on fostering positive economic
impact through improved value chain productivity, a nutritional landscape, human capital
development, and job creation in Nigeria.

Anil Nair, Country Head and Managing Director, Olam Agri in Nigeria, affirmed, “As a business that
originated in Nigeria, we continue to commit investment into developing key value chains, people and
highly nutritious and safe food that supports the overall national economic growth in line with the
government’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The introduction of Mama’s Pride Soya Oil is a direct outcome of
our long-term investment in Nigeria’s food systems.”

Emphasising the company’s vision for the future, he enthused, “We believe Nigeria has the capacity to
be self-sufficient in food production. By investing in infrastructure, empowering farmers, and delivering
high-quality consumer products like Mama’s Pride Soya Oil, we are playing our part in building a
resilient and food-secure nation.”