The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, has launched a program to empower 1,110 smallholder poultry farmers across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Deola Lordbanjou, the federal director of Agricultural Extension Services, announced this initiative on behalf of Tope Fashedemi, the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, during a training and empowerment event in Ogun State.
Part of the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy, the program is being implemented across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). According to an official statement, each beneficiary received day-old chicks, feeds, and cash support to raise broiler chickens to market weight.
“The objective of the training and empowerment is to lift smallholder poultry farmers in Nigeria out of poverty by training them in modern broiler chicken rearing techniques and fostering an interest in the broiler production enterprise following the initial support from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security,” Fashedemi stated.
She emphasized that the provided inputs aim to encourage sustainable poultry production, highlighting the profitability of the broiler production business.
Felix Okonkwo, director of the Macro Economic Policy Department at the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, urged the 1,110 beneficiaries to view poultry farming as a viable business that can provide a steady income for their families. Okonkwo also revealed that the ministry would continually monitor the beneficiaries to assess the program’s impact on their lives.
