Nigeria's Obasanjo and President Museveni discuss milk trade

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Plans to export Uganda’s milk to Nigeria are in the final stages, following a visit by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Yoweri Museveni on Friday.

According to the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze’s X handle, was milk trade between the two countries, under the Intercontinental Free Trade Area, was among the key issues the two leaders discussed during the meeting at State House Entebbe.

Tumwebaze with Olusegun Obasanjo after his arrival at the State House. (PPU)

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is one of the flagship projects of the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.

It aims to boost intra-African trade by bringing together the 55 countries of the African Union (AU) and eight (8) Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to create a single market for the continent.

The ultimate goal is to enable the free flow of goods and services across the continent and boost the trading position of Africa in the global market. 

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo (Left) with President Yoweri Museveni (Right). (PPU)

In order to boost the market, AfCTA ‘s task is to eliminate trade barriers and boost intra-African trade by advancing trade in value-added products across all service sectors of the African Economy.

To join countries like Tanzania, including Nigeria, that are already trading under this framework, will be Uganda, once they start exporting processed milk to Nigeria.

African consumers of Uganda's milk include Algeria. The consignment leaving Uganda on May 29, 2025, where Museveni flagged off 2100 metric tons of high-quality milk powder worth $8 million to Algeria.

This was a result of bilateral negotiations and a Memorandum of Understanding signed during President Museveni’s visit to Algeria in March 2023, which opened markets for coffee, milk, and other products from Uganda.

Nigeria’s interest in Uganda’s milk also followed a visit by Obasanjo in September 2024 to the country, where President Museveni took him on a tour to Pearl Dairy Farms Limited in Mbarara City and later joined Kiruhura and Kazo farmers at Kaaro in Kiruhura District.

During the visit, according to statements from the Statehouse website, Obasanjo was pleased to learn that Uganda can produce 5.7 billion litres of milk per year.

He assured Museveni and farmers of Kiruhura and Kazo districts that Nigeria was willing to buy Ugandan processed milk and Coffee.

Obasanjo noted that the problem with Africa is that most Africans do not know their problems, noting that Nigeria has been importing milk from Europe, yet Uganda has enough of it.

Apart from business, Tumwebaze said that Obasanjo is in the country to hold a number of regional and continental issues with President Yoweri Museveni, added Tumwebaze.

Last year, Obasanjo, while on a tour of Pearl Dairy Farms Limited in Mbarara City, revealed that Nigeria is willing to buy Ugandan processed milk and Coffee.

“I am here to see how Nigeria can buy Ugandan milk, expand production of processed milk and Coffee,” he said while in the company of President Museveni.

He lamented that Nigeria has been importing milk from Europe, yet Uganda has enough of it.

“It’s just recently that I found out that Uganda is the net exporter of Milk in Africa,” he said after the tour while addressing Kiruhura and Kazo farmers at Kaaro in Kiruhura District.

At the event, President Museveni said Uganda has the capacity to produce enough milk for the local and international markets.