By Lanre Shodimu
Poultry farmers and other stakeholders in the poultry industry in Nigeria have called for urgent government intervention to tackle rising production costs, high feed prices, inadequate access to finance, shortages of day-old chicks, disease outbreaks, and insecurity threatening the sector’s sustainability.The call was made in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, ahead of the 2026 Nigerian Poultry Show, scheduled for 3-5 November at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Complex in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The event, tagged “Building a Sustainable and Resilient Poultry Industry in Challenging Times”, is expected to bring together farmers, investors, researchers, financial institutions, government representatives and other stakeholders across the livestock value chain.Rev Oluleye Gideon Olugbeja, the chairman of the Poultry Association of Nigeria’s south-west zone and its national vice-president for the region, said the industry needed practical strategies to sustain production despite the country’s economic challenges.“Majorly, we are trying to build a poultry industry that is sustainable and resilient in challenging times”.
He acknowledged government efforts to address challenges in the agricultural sector but said industry professionals must also use their expertise and innovation to improve production and overcome existing constraints.
Speaking at the event, Olugbeja said food security should be treated as an essential component of national security, warning that a country unable to provide adequate food for its citizens risked instability, even if it could secure its borders.“A country that can secure its external borders but cannot secure food for the people hardly will be stable because people will agitate”.He said the poultry show would expose farmers and other industry players to new technologies, research findings and investment opportunities aimed at improving productivity and reducing food costs.The event according to him would also provide opportunities for farmers to engage with financial institutions and investors on accessing funding to expand their businesses.“We are using this as our own sector to make sure that we help the nation to bring down the cost of food, provide enough availability of food and protein sufficiency for the entire nation,” Olugbeja said.
Participants are expected to learn about modern equipment, improved feeding technologies, precision farming, data-driven production, organic farming systems and better biosecurity practices.Exhibitors and experts from the US, Europe, China, India, Israel and Australia are also expected to showcase innovations and technologies.Olugbeja said the event was not limited to large-scale farmers, adding that feed millers, veterinary drug manufacturers and sellers, animal scientists, logistics providers, entrepreneurs and young people interested in poultry and livestock production could also benefit.He described the sector as a major source of employment and a potential driver of industrialisation in Nigeria’s agricultural economy.Speaking also at the event, the chairman of the Nigerian Poultry Show and a poultry farmer, Dr Olalekan Odunsi, said the annual event was designed to help farmers establish business connections, find solutions to their challenges and engage directly with government officials, financial institutions and industry experts.“This event is largely put together so that farmers can have a breather, make connections and have solutions to their problems”.
He said the organisers expected the minister of livestock development, the national coordinator of AIRPRES, Abubakar Sani, and the managing director of the Bank of Agriculture to attend. The Ogun state government was also expected to participate.Odunsi revealed that insecurity, high grain prices, inadequate financing, disease outbreaks, insufficient insurance cover ,and shortages of day-old chicks, particularly pullets, as major concerns for poultry farmers.He said feed accounted for about 75% of poultry production costs, making access to affordable grains crucial to the survival of businesses in the sector.“If feed is not made available, it will be a challenge,” he said, calling for measures to reduce the cost of feed production.Odunsi also urged the government and financial institutions to improve access to affordable agricultural loans, including financing at single-digit interest rates, to help farmers expand production and meet the country’s demand for food.“A lot of farmers need to expand so that we can feed the populace, but finance is a challenge. How do we bring down the interest rate to a bearable amount?” he asked.He expressed concern about disease outbreaks and the lack of adequate insurance protection for poultry businesses, urging insurers to develop products that would cover losses caused by disease and other unforeseen events.He pointed out that the rising cost and shortage of day-old chicks, particularly pullets, were also increasing the financial burden on farmers .Odunsi noted that the cost of raising pullets from day-old chicks to point-of-lay had become increasingly expensive, while broiler chick prices had also risen considerably.
He said government intervention and stronger collaboration among stakeholders were needed to ease the pressure on farmers and make poultry production more sustainable.The organisers were also working with security agencies to address insecurity, which they said had made some farmers increasingly reluctant to visit their farms.They urged poultry farmers, prospective entrants, young people, investors, businesses, researchers and other stakeholders across the livestock value chain to attend the November event.The event drew participants and stakeholders in the industry and are expected to explore new technologies, establish business partnerships, access information on funding opportunities and learn practical approaches to improving efficiency and profitability.
Earlier in the year poultry farmers drew the attention of the Government to the sector , urging Government for prompt intervention to safe the sector from imminent collapse .
