Poultry farmers under the aegis of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) have urged the Federal Government to look inward and support the local poultry sector for increased growth and development.

They spoke against the backdrop of the proposed $900 million poultry sector investment partnership between Nigeria and China.

The PAN leadership who spoke in separate interviews on Thursday in Lagos expressed reservations about the Federal Government proposed partnership.

They said the investment might cripple the local poultry sector if not properly implemented.

The Federal Government is projecting a $900 million investment partnership with China in a large-scale poultry project aimed at producing up to six million eggs daily.

The partnership is aimed at tackling Nigeria’s protein deficit and strengthening food security.

The initiative is said to represent a shift in the bilateral relationship from infrastructure-focused cooperation to deeper development partnerships anchored on agriculture, industrial production, and technology transfer.

The Lagos PAN Vice President and Chairman of  Aiyedoto Poultry Farmers Settlement, Foluso Adams, urged the government to look inward and support local farmers to boost the sector.

Mr Adams enjoined the Federal Government to empower the local farmers to boost food security. 

He said, “It will be better for the government to develop local poultry production to enable farmers to stay employed. Empowering our local poultry industry will give us the export opportunity for other neighbouring West African countries or even Africa at large to depend on our production.

“If we export it, it will generate foreign exchange for us. “Bringing them here will be undermining our agricultural investors, whereby they’re giving them the best, they can even come out with the best genetics. The government should empower our own people. If we don’t take time, the Nigerian poultry sector will be a toy business.”

On his part, the PAN National Publicity Secretary, Godwin Egbebe, said the investment partnership would do more harm to the Nigerian poultry sector.

“The proposed $900 million poultry sector investment partnership by the Federal Government and China is going to impact negatively on the local poultry industry.

“Before the government goes into this poultry partnership with China, they should also consider the health and safety of Nigerians,” Mr Egbebe said.

He urged the Federal Government to be critical before entering into any partnership.

“The government should consider public health safety as their focus. Producing one million eggs daily is not our problem, even if we are going to sell the eggs at N1,000 per crate, people will still not be able to buy because they don’t have the money to pay,” he said.

Mr Egbebe noted that the major problem of the sector was the poor purchasing power of the masses.

He urged the government to liaise with stakeholders in the poultry sector before making decisions.

He stated, “The policymakers should engage the poultry farmers before making some decisions that may affect the entire sector.”

(NAN)