According to the Ogun State Government, its recently built 5,000-bird-per-day poultry processing facility at Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Odeda Local Government Area has the capacity to process an additional 1.3 million birds annually. This development is anticipated to significantly reduce the importation of poultry.
Bolu Owotomo, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security revealed this in a statement released on Thursday by Gbenga Morounfolu, the ministry’s spokesperson, while visiting Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Eweje Farm Institute, and Odo Fufu in Odeda and Yewa South Local Government Areas.
The visit was a part of the commissioner’s initial facility tour of completed and ongoing agricultural initiatives around the state.
The facility was acquired as part of the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project, which is supported by the World Bank, according to the statement.
According to Owotomo, Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration is still dedicated to supporting farmers and increasing food production throughout the state.
“For instance, the recently constructed 5,000-birds-per-day poultry processing facility at Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Odeda Local Government Area, has the capacity to process an additional 1.3 million birds annually.
“This will significantly help to reduce poultry importation and also provide jobs for our teeming youth population”, he said.
He added that the farm settlement, designated as a poultry hub, currently has about 400 resident farmers, while newly provided complementary facilities — including blast freezers, cold rooms, waste processing and g facilities, a warehouse with fitted offices and 20,000-capacity poultry pens — have continued to attract private investors.
The commissioner revealed that a private investor had just completed a 13,000-capacity poultry pen in the settlement, highlighting its increasing economic importance.
Owotomo disclosed that the government had finished 28 agricultural projects throughout the state in the previous two years through OGSTEP. He also mentioned that other intervention programs like the Value Chain Development Programme, OG-CARES, and the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones had made a substantial contribution to the agricultural sector’s revitalization.
“These projects are aimed at increasing food productivity, improving farmers’ livelihoods and reducing post-harvest losses in Nigeria, which are currently estimated at N3.5 trillion annually”, he said.
He clarified that Nigeria consumes between 1.7 and 2 kg of chicken per person, while Ghana consumes 13 kg, South Africa consumes 36 kg, and Brazil consumes 46 kg, emphasizing that Nigeria still trails behind in terms of consumption even if it imports roughly 70% of its poultry needs.
Owotomo promised that continued investment in agricultural infrastructure would further solidify Ogun State’s standing as Nigeria’s top poultry hub at the Eweje Farm Institute, which has five four-bedroom residential buildings and ten poultry pens that can each produce 10,000 birds.
The commissioner stated that the project would increase value addition and raise farmers’ earnings at Odo Fufu in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area, where a cassava processing facility has been built to serve many farmers.
“On sustainability, we are encouraging farmers to take ownership of these facilities. There will be strong monitoring and evaluation by the ministry, alongside public-private partnerships, to ensure long-term viability,” he said.
Dr. Angel Adelaja, the governor’s special advisor on agriculture and food security, and Mrs. Kehinde Jokotoye, the permanent secretary, both stated in separate statements that the projects will greatly increase production and fortify the state’s economy.
Also speaking, the Principal of Odeda Training Institute, Mr Ademola Benco, and the Chairman of Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Mr Rotimi Sogunle, described the projects as unprecedented and first of their kind, noting that full utilization would further boost agricultural production in Ogun State and Nigeria.
According to reports, Nigeria has an official ban on imported frozen poultry in order to support local farmers. However, the ban is still lax, with widespread smuggling creating a supply gap that is filled by illegal imports and growing local demand, which keeps prices rising despite industry growth and government interventions.
Although the restriction has increased domestic production and created jobs, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission has observed that the country’s incapacity to satisfy demand has allowed substantial amounts of illegal chicken to enter the market, creating a difficult supply situation for local producers.
