Nigeria is set to broaden its cooperation with Morocco on veterinary vaccine production and agro-industrial development following a high-level study tour of key Moroccan facilities by a Nigerian government delegation.
The delegation, led by the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, visited the MCI Animal Health and Vaccine Production Facility in Casablanca on the final day of the tour. MCI’s Managing Director, Dr. Khalid Omari Tadlaoui, confirmed that the company already has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, covering capacity building and vaccine production. He disclosed that MCI’s Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and Lumpy Skin Disease vaccines are currently undergoing field trials in Nigeria.
Minister Maiha emphasized Nigeria’s interest in expanding vaccine cooperation to include major zoonotic diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease, Brucellosis, Anthrax, Avian Influenza, and African Swine Fever.
Speaking at the meeting, MCI’s management expressed readiness to strengthen collaboration under the Nigeria–Morocco Bilateral Agreement and noted that its NAFDAC registration application is in progress. The company currently exports veterinary drugs and vaccines to 20 countries, including some in the EU.
Beyond animal health, discussions also extended to the Moroccan Federation of Agro-Industry and the Technical Centre for Agro-Food Industries, with both sides exploring opportunities for future collaboration.
The delegation also engaged with the Moroccan Federation of Leather Industry, which oversees the Kingdom’s leather value chain. The country’s primary tannery—established in 1927—produces around 1.2 million square feet of crust leather annually for export to the United States, Italy, Spain, and India. Morocco maintains a ban on exporting unfinished leather such as Wet Blue and Wet White. The Federation expressed openness to partnerships with Nigeria on capacity development and improved hides and skins export processes.
In addition, the team visited Oland Cheese Factory, a fast-growing establishment launched in 2022. The plant produces approximately 100,000 metric tonnes of Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese monthly and employs about 500 workers. However, it imports nearly 90% of its raw materials—mainly powdered milk. Nigerian officials and the factory’s management identified opportunities for cooperation in milk sourcing, capacity building, and long-term investments aimed at boosting local milk production for industrial use.
