The Federal Government has unveiled measures to improve poultry production, by strengthening oversight of import allocations and introducing stricter performance-based monitoring across the industry to address supply shortages and improve access to day-old chicks.
The plans were disclosed in a statement signed by Henrietta Okokon, Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations and made available to Agronigeria.
The initiative comes amid concerns that many approved poultry import quotas have not been fully utilised, a situation that has contributed to shortages of day-old chicks, rising production costs and limited opportunities for poultry farmers across the country.
Speaking during a meeting on Wednesday, with the Managing Director of Valentine Chickens, Leon Gunter, and the company’s National Operations Manager, Samuel Adediji, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, stressed the need for government interventions in the sector to yield tangible benefits for producers and consumers.
“We want a very firm commitment from industry operators. This is about national security, job creation and livelihoods. Government support must translate into increased production, improved availability and better access for farmers across the country,” the Minister said.
Maiha noted that industry assessments revealed that a considerable share of approved poultry allocations had not been fully implemented, creating supply constraints that have fueled recurring increases in the cost of day-old chicks.
“The objective of government is clear; to ensure that opportunities created through public policy translate into increased production, lower barriers to entry for farmers, greater affordability, and sustainable growth across the poultry sector.
“There is no reason why opportunities created through government support should not translate into increased production. Once approvals are granted, we expect implementation. Going forward, allocations will be closely monitored and linked to performance,” Mukhtar added.
As part of efforts to boost local production capacity, Valentine Chickens presented a proposal for a $5.6 million investment in grandparent stock production infrastructure. The project is expected to reduce reliance on imported parent stock and strengthen Nigeria’s poultry value chain.
The proposal, developed in partnership with Aviagen, a global poultry genetics company, includes plans for specialised breeding facilities and advanced biosecurity systems aimed at increasing domestic poultry production and supporting long-term sector growth.
“This is not simply the importation of day-old chicks; it is the importation of genetic capacity that can multiply into millions of locally produced birds and strengthen the country’s poultry industry for the long term,” Gunter explained.
According to projections presented during the meeting, the annual importation of 116,800 grandparent breeding chicks at full capacity would produce two million parent stock females, resulting in 273 million commercial broiler chickens and about 378,000 tonnes of chicken meat annually, based on a 72 per cent carcass yield.
The ministry also disclosed plans to establish a centralised national database to monitor every imported grandparent stock (GPS) and parent stock (PS) egg and chick.
The move is expected to improve regulatory oversight, lower entry barriers for smallholder farmers, increase poultry consumption and ensure adequate supply for the domestic market.
