• Ogun commissions 5,000-bird-per-day poultry processing plant under World Bank project

• Kaduna plans $200 million poultry megaproject targeting jobs, exports, agribusiness scale

• Federal livestock plan prioritises poultry to cut imports, boost food security

The Ogun State government said on Thursday, Jan. 15 it had commissioned a poultry processing plant with capacity to handle 5,000 birds a day, local media reported, or about 1.3 million birds a year.

Located at the Ajegunle farm settlement in Odeda Local Government Area, the facility is part of the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP), supported by the World Bank.

Bolu Owotomo, the commissioner for agriculture and food security, said the plant fits into a broader strategy that includes the Value Chain Development Program and Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, aimed at strengthening Ogun’s position as a major poultry hub in Nigeria.

Kaduna State has also unveiled plans for a $200 million poultry “megaproject”, which it says could be one of the largest in the country. Governor Uba Sani said the initiative could generate more than $450 million in annual revenue and create about 350,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Beyond production, the project is intended to position Kaduna as a modern agribusiness hub, including through technology partnerships with Chinese companies specialising in industrial egg and poultry production.

A national framework to attract investors

Whether coincidental or not, the two announcements come as the federal government seeks to boost investment and accelerate the development of Nigeria’s poultry industry.

In September 2025, the Ministry of Livestock Development unveiled the National Livestock Master Plan (NLMP), developed with support from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), a research organisation focused on livestock development in low- and middle-income countries.

Authorities say the five-year plan aims to turn the livestock sector into a driver of food security, rural prosperity and economic growth. It identifies poultry as a priority value chain alongside cattle, small ruminants, pigs and animal feed systems.

The plan outlines measures spanning genetic improvement, animal health, feed and pasture development, market access and research coordination. ILRI said the NLMP is not limited to technical interventions and is designed to create an enabling environment where public policy, investment and innovation converge to deliver lasting change.

The long-term goal is to reduce reliance on imported animal protein in Nigeria, where demand for meat and eggs is rising rapidly, driven by population growth and urbanisation.

Structural challenges persist

Although imports of chicken meat have been banned since 2003, illegal inflows continue to supply the market, pointing to domestic production that still falls short of demand.

In an analysis of the Nigerian market, Singaporean agribusiness company Olam Agri, which operates in the country’s animal feed industry, estimates that between $150 million and $200 million worth of poultry meat is smuggled into Nigeria each year.

The local industry also faces long-standing constraints that limit expansion. Feed costs and availability remain a major challenge, as production depends heavily on maize and soybeans. Biosecurity gaps, animal disease and limited access to financing continue to weigh on small-scale farmers.

The NLMP seeks to address these bottlenecks. It projects that targeted investment in feed systems and pastures could raise farm productivity by 40%, while improved vaccination coverage could cut animal mortality by 65%. Achieving these targets, however, will depend on effective coordination among public authorities, private investors and producers.

A new phase for Nigeria’s poultry industry?

Investment projects announced since early 2026 suggest Nigeria’s poultry sector may be shifting to a larger scale. With new industrial projects promising greater processing capacity and a more coherent national framework, the industry appears to be entering a more structured phase of development.

It remains to be seen whether the NLMP can trigger a broader wave of investment across other poultry-producing states in the months and years ahead. The key issue is no longer the volume of announcements, but execution, long-term viability and the ability to integrate small producers into increasingly industrialised value chains.

Nigeria’s chicken population was estimated at nearly 809.8 million birds in 2024. According to the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), this is the country’s largest livestock population, more than seven times the size of the goat population, the second most widespread livestock category.

Stéphanas Assocle