Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has warned that up to 25 million jobs related to the value chain are at risk if interventions are not made by policymakers to avert a crisis in the sector.
This was disclosed by PAN National President, Ezekiel Ibrahim, during the World Egg Day event in Abuja, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Ibrahim urged the FG to interfere in the sector and assist the farmers to save the industry from total collapse, as the industry employs millions of Nigerians directly and indirectly.
What the Association is saying
Ibrahim who was represented by the Director-General of the Association, Onallo Akpa, said the collapse of Nigeria’s poultry industry would create a big market for other parts of the world who are into poultry production.
Ibrahim said, “The poultry industry is about to collapse and if that happens, there are so many negative consequences that would affect the people.
“We are being challenged by maize scarcity and high exchange rate. People producing in other parts of the world are waiting to see the poultry industry in Nigeria collapse.
“If that happens, it is a big market for them because we have the population which will create a big market for them.
“We need the government to help look into some of the policies, we need their support to help grow the industry and, without their support, no matter the money we have to invest, we can’t really achieve much.”
The association also called on the FG to intensify the school feeding program where an egg a day per child can be meaningfully implemented in the country. He urged them to make eggs part of prisons feeding program, urging that FG prioritises eggs as a food product that could be supplied to displaced people at various locations throughout the country.
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) PAN chairman, Pius Aminu, said that “No sector in Nigeria is employing people like the poultry industry, an average farm with a population of 2000 birds needs nothing less than 10 workers.”
“In the last six months, over 2000 people have been thrown into the labour market as a result of some of the challenges the poultry farmers are facing,” he added.
In case you missed it
Recall Nairametrics reported in July that the Lagos Chapter of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) warned that Nigeria may likely witness 10% job losses if the immediate problems facing the sector including the rising cost of feeds are not addressed by the federal government.
