Ogun State Expands Poultry Processing Targets 1.3 Million Birds Yearly

The Ogun State Government has boosted its food security drive with the completion of a 5,000-birds-per-day poultry processing facility at Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Odeda LGA, under OGSTEP, giving the state capacity to process an additional 1.3 million birds annually, as Nigeria still imports about 70% of its poultry needs.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, disclosed this during a tour of Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Eweje Farm Institute and Odo Fufu in Odeda and Yewa South LGAs.

“With this facility, Ogun can now process an additional 1.3 million birds yearly, reducing importation and strengthening local production,” he said.

Owotomo explained that Ajegunle, designated as a poultry hub, currently has about 400 resident farmers, supported with blast freezers, cold rooms, waste processing facilities, a warehouse with fitted offices and poultry pens with combined capacity of 20,000 birds, adding that a private investor has also completed a 13,000-capacity poultry pen at the settlement.

He revealed that Ogun has completed 28 agricultural projects in the last two years through OGSTEP, supported by VCDP, OG-CARES and SAPZ, aimed at boosting productivity, improving livelihoods and reducing Nigeria’s annual post-harvest losses estimated at ₦3.5 trillion.

He added that Nigeria’s per capita chicken consumption is just 1.7kg–2kg, compared to 13kg in Ghana, 36kg in South Africa and 46kg in Brazil.

At Eweje Farm Institute, the state has built 10 poultry pens of 10,000 birds each and five four-bedroom residential buildings, while the cassava processing facility at Odo Fufu, Ilaro, will boost value addition and farmers’ incomes.

“We are encouraging farmers to take ownership of these facilities, with strong monitoring and Public-Private Partnerships to ensure sustainability,” he said.