Helping our poultry farmers’ needs

# Overview

# What's causing the crisis Feed accounts for roughly 70% of production costs, so higher maize and soybean prices directly make farming unprofitable. Electricity, transport and finance costs add to the burden. Farmers also report shortages of day‑old chicks and rising chick prices. These combined factors have pushed egg and chicken prices up in some markets, turning farming troubles into a wider nutrition issue.

# Scale and information gaps Estimates put Nigeria's poultry population between about 180 million and 300 million birds, with annual output estimates around 454,000 tonnes of meat and 16 billion eggs. The range in figures highlights weak sector data, which complicates planning, investment and policy targeting.

# What industry wants Nigeria and other stakeholders want concrete, coordinated measures that address the whole value chain simultaneously. Their asks include:

• predictable government policy and use of public institutions as steady buyers.

# Government response so far

States have launched targeted initiatives too. Lagos is supporting an egg‑powder processing plant to handle surplus supply, while Kaduna is linked to an integrated poultry investment that includes maize and soybean production.

# Why mega‑projects are not enough Large, isolated investments can increase capacity, but they do not replace a functional national value chain. International practice shows poultry performs best when genetics, feed, finance, animal health, processing, logistics and markets are developed in parallel.

# A practical path forward A national poultry competitiveness programme would link measurable targets to funding and institutional support. Core components should include:

# Potential outcomes If implemented in a coordinated way, the sector could deliver cheaper protein, better nutrition, more profitable farms, and expanded employment. It would also increase demand for maize and soybean, reduce food imports and create export opportunities within the region.

# Bottom line The government has started targeted actions, but the editorial calls for a comprehensive, coordinated national strategy that develops the entire poultry value chain with measurable targets and cheaper credit to restore profitability, stabilize supply and protect consumers.