Ogun boosts poultry production with 1.3 million birds processing facility

The Ogun State Government has announced the acquisition of a poultry processing facility with the capacity to handle an additional 1.3 million birds annually, a move aimed at boosting local production and reducing poultry importation.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, disclosed this during an inspection tour of Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Eweje Farm Institute and Odo Fufu communities in Odeda and Yewa South Local Government Areas, marking the first phase of his assessment of ongoing and completed agricultural projects across the state.

Owotomo explained that the facility followed the construction of a 5,000-birds-per-day poultry processing plant at Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Odeda Local Government Area, under the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP).

He said the state government remained committed to supporting farmers and scaling up food production, noting that Ajegunle Farm Settlement, designated as a poultry hub, currently hosts about 400 resident farmers.

According to him, complementary facilities provided at the settlement—including blast freezers, cold rooms, waste processing units, a warehouse with fitted offices and poultry pens with a combined capacity of 20,000 birds—have continued to attract private sector investment.

The commissioner revealed that a private investor had recently completed a 13,000-capacity poultry pen at the settlement, underscoring its growing economic importance.

Owotomo further disclosed that the state, through OGSTEP, had completed 28 agricultural projects in the last two years. He added that other intervention programmes such as the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), OG-CARES and the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) had also played key roles in revitalising the agricultural sector.

“These projects are designed to increase food productivity, improve farmers’ livelihoods and reduce post-harvest losses in Nigeria, which are currently estimated at about N3.5 trillion annually,” he said.

Highlighting consumption gaps, Owotomo noted that Nigeria’s per capita chicken consumption stands between 1.7kg and 2kg, compared with 13kg in Ghana, 36kg in South Africa and 46kg in Brazil. He added that despite importing about 70 per cent of its poultry needs, Nigeria still lags significantly in consumption.

At the Eweje Farm Institute, he said 10 poultry pens with the capacity to produce 10,000 birds each, alongside five four-bedroom residential buildings, had been constructed. He expressed confidence that sustained investment in agricultural infrastructure would further position Ogun State as Nigeria’s leading poultry hub.

At Odo Fufu in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area, Owotomo said a cassava processing facility had been established to serve farmers in the area, enhance value addition and improve incomes.

On sustainability, the commissioner said the government was encouraging farmers to take ownership of the facilities, stressing that the ministry would ensure strict monitoring and evaluation, alongside Public-Private Partnerships, to guarantee long-term viability.

In their separate remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Angel Adelaja, and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, said the projects would significantly boost productivity and strengthen the state’s economy.

Also speaking, the Principal of Odeda Training Institute, Mr Ademola Benco, and the Chairman of Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Mr Rotimi Sogunle, described the projects as unprecedented and first of their kind, noting that full utilisation would further enhance agricultural production in Ogun State and beyond.

The commissioner was accompanied on the tour by the Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Waliu Owode, and directors from the ministry.