On this year’s World Milk Day, FrieslandCampina WAMCO hosted an event to advocate the goodness of milk
In celebration of the World Milk Day, Nigeria’s leading dairy nutrition company, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, makers of Peak milk and Three Crowns milk hosted top government functionaries, health and nutrition specialists to an event themed ‘Raise a Glass’ advocating the goodness of milk, June 1 in Lagos.
At the event, specialists including the Associate Professor of Human Nutrition, University of Ibadan, Dr. Rasak Sanusi; the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olajide Idris, and the President, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Dr. Bartholomew Brai, emphasized the importance of drinking milk daily for its health benefits. About 200 healthcare professionals – nurses, nutritionists, GPs, cardiologists, dieticians and geriatrics attended the event. .
Also at the occasion were the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Lagos State, Barr. Olayinka Oladunjoye; the Commissioner for Water Infrastructure Development, Dr. Samuel Adejare, and Lagos State Nutrition Officer, Mrs. Olubunmi Braheem.
In her welcome address, the Corporate Affairs Director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Mrs. Ore Famurewa, representing the Managing Director, noted that FrieslandCampina WAMCO is using this year’s World Milk Day celebration to seek active cooperation with key government agencies and healthcare professionals to drive the agenda of dairy nutrition on the national platform.
“Milk and dairy foods are nutrient-dense foods supplying energy and significant amounts of protein and micronutrients. The inclusion of dairy products adds diversity to plant-based diets and today, FrieslandCampina celebrates the World Milk Day in all 34 countries where we have offices, because at the heart of everything we do is one central purpose – nourishing by nature” Famurewa said.
Speaking at the occasion, Brai also affirmed that “Milk is a complete food. It supplies essential nutrients to the human body like carbohydrates, proteins, fats and micronutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, folic acid, and vitamins D, A and B12.”
According to Sanusi, “When added to our daily diet, milk improves the quality and diversity of our diet. Whatever it is we eat, it is very possible and advisable that we include milk.”
Everyone at the event rose to the thrill of a surprise Three Crowns fitness session which was designed to encourage keeping an overall healthy lifestyle. Led by a trainer, they all exercised their limbs to dance beats.
Part of the event highlights were prize winning activities like the impromptu PeCaDoMo (acronym for ‘Peak Can Do More’) competition with participants preparing various recipes using Peak milk and the Peak and Three Crowns milk quiz.
The World Milk Day was established 18 years ago by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations to highlight globally, the essential nutrients in milk.
FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC has been a necessary part of most Nigerian homes since 1954 through its iconic brand Peak Milk. The Company is a multinational manufacturing company and an affiliate of Royal FrieslandCampina of The Netherlands, one of the largest dairy cooperative in the world. They are the makers of Peak, Three Crowns and Friso brands of milk in Nigeria. Over the years, FrieslandCampina WAMCO has maintained leadership of the Evaporated milk market with its Peak brand. Guided by an inspiring mission, Nourishing Nigeria with quality dairy nutrition, they are unwavering in the provision of quality, nutritious milk products to Nigerians.
To further increase its local content and support Federal Government’s initiative to grow the Agriculture sector, FrieslandCampina WAMCO pioneered the Dairy Development Programme (DDP) in August 2010. The Dairy Development Programme (DDP), is an inclusive business model with an array of community activities that encourage local economic development in milk production to meet the needs of consumers, farmers, local communities, the government, and the company’s business. This has helped the company to develop new institutional capacities, policies and practices that benefit pastoralists, small-holder farmers and the country as a whole.
Under the DDP, they actively share their long-established knowledge in the field of dairy farming.
“Through our knowledge-sharing, training courses, exchange programmes and the establishment of local milk collection systems, the Dairy Development Programme has already supported over 1700 local dairy farmers (including 900 women). The DDP, supports farmers to expand their investment opportunities as the milk collected from the dairy farmers is used in the local manufacturing of Peak evaporated milk,” the company stated
