Nigeria’s Ekiti state expands poultry programme as state targets larger share of Nigeria’s chicken market

NIGERIA – Ekiti State has stepped up plans to increase poultry production through expanded youth training, new processing infrastructure, and wider support for livestock farmers as authorities seek to position the state among Nigeria’s leading poultry producers.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Ebenezer Boluwade, announced the move during the opening of a training programme on animal husbandry practices for participants in the Ekiti Broiler Production Scheme and other poultry stakeholders in Ado-Ekiti.

The programme was organised by the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project through its Ekiti State coordination office, as part of efforts to improve poultry management practices and increase production efficiency.

According to Boluwade, the training sessions are intended to help poultry farmers improve operational practices, lower production expenses, and increase returns from broiler farming activities across the state.

He said the Ekiti Broiler Production Scheme, which started in 2023 with 20 participants and 10,000 birds at the Livestock Development Centre in Erifun, has since expanded following the state government’s rehabilitation of facilities and provision of inputs, including feed, chicks, vaccines, and veterinary services.

The commissioner added that the initiative now operates through six additional rearing centres established across Ekiti State, while more than 200 young people have completed training under four separate batches of the programme.

Processing facility approved

Boluwade stated that more than 150,000 birds produced through the scheme have already been sold both within Ekiti and in other parts of Nigeria, and that the programme also generates employment opportunities in poultry farming and distribution.

He further disclosed that approval had been secured under the L-PRES project for the construction of a broiler processing facility in the state to reduce the movement of live birds outside Ekiti for slaughter and processing.

According to the commissioner, the planned processing plant is expected to help poultry farmers increase earnings through processed poultry products while reducing transportation-related risks associated with moving live birds to other states.

Farmer training centres established

In addition, Boluwade said the government had established three farmer field schools across Ekiti’s senatorial districts to provide poultry farmers with ongoing technical training and exposure to newer production methods.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Ebenezer Ojo, said the programme was designed to improve the technical capacity of poultry farmers operating in the state.

Meanwhile, the State Coordinator of L-PRES, Olayinka Adedipe, said participants would receive training focused on efficient poultry production methods.

In contrast, lead consultant Abiola Salako said the sessions would expose farmers to current broiler production practices aimed at improving output levels.

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