By Kafayat kokumo 

Experts have called for reforms, increased investment, innovation and stronger collaboration among stakeholders to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s poultry industry, to enhance food security, job creation and economic growth.

Speaking recently at the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter summit themed, “Flocking to Growth: Transforming Nigerian Poultry Industry through Innovation and Investment,” Prof. Olutayo Adeyemi said Nigeria’s poultry industry remains one of the country’s most strategic agricultural sectors, with the South-West serving as the hub of poultry production in West Africa.

Adeyemi said advances in poultry genetics have significantly improved productivity, stressing that researchers, farmers, regulators, investors and government must work together to drive the industry’s growth.

He identified precision feed milling, genetics and breeding, broiler production, processing, cold-chain logistics, standard abattoirs and value addition as critical areas requiring investment, lamenting Nigeria’s limited processing capacity.

In his paper presentation titled,”Sustainable Poultry Production: Best Practices, Climate Change and Waste Management,” Dr. Mobolaji Alabi said agriculture contributed 23.1 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter of the year, while Nigeria’s estimated poultry population of 300 million birds remains insufficient to meet future demand.

He urged poultry farmers to adopt precision management by accurately measuring feed, medication and bird weight to improve productivity and reduce antimicrobial resistance.