Dairy: EU reports Nigeria to WTO over cow milk policy
The European Union has reported Nigeria to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Director General of the WTO Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala made this disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday when she visited the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
She said the complaint was about Nigeria’s policy on dairy, a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing of animal milk — mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels — for human consumption.
Okonjo-Iweala said the WTO has received a letter from the European Union complaining about Nigeria’s restrictions on milk and diary products.
She said the WTO will look into the complaint but urged Nigerian to take advantage of the trade remedy initiative in place at the WTO to protect local industries.
CBN governor Godwin Emefiele, in reaction, said the process to bring milk and dairy producers has been on for six years with the milk and diary producers treating the matter with levity.
One of the producers, he said, has been in Nigeria for over 60 years and has not deemed it necessary to engage in backward integration rather but is comfortable importing products.
