Nigeria’s Poultry Farmers Yearn To Fill Five Million Job Gap

Poultry farmers in the country under the aegis of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) on Tuesday, said its member were capable of creating five million jobs and unlock a trillion naira industry if they are provided with enabling environment and support by the government.

The body at the annual Nigeria poultry show in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, assured that the body was ready to key into the diversification of the economy which is a key component of President Muhammadu Buhari’s change agenda.

The national president of the association, Dr. Ayoola Oduntan made this known in his remarks at the 3 day event.

He said against the backdrop of federal government’s ban on importation of poultry products, the Nigerian farmers have the capacity to feed the nation, insisting that government should encourage them to achieve the feat.

Oduntan, explained that the theme for this year’s poultry show, “Poultry Value Chain – Unlocking One Trillion Naira Industry and Five Million Jobs”, had become imperative in order to show the determination and commitment of the body to the seriousness of agriculture as a potential sector, which could solve the nation’s economic problems.

He said “the industry’s potential is enormous in increasing the economy of the country if necessary measures are put in place. The value chain is unique, but in this country, everything is manual. The theme for this year is very important, which the present administration can achieve with us, with the right environment.”

He stressed that with the appointment of a new federal minister of agriculture, “the situation will improve for us and the country for good,” just as he commended the local and foreign investors who have shown interest in participating at the fair.

Ogun state chairman of Associatio, Dr. Lekan Odunsi, in his speech, said the fair was to showcase to the world that the industry has potentials “and that these potentials can attract foreign investors, which will lead to creation of jobs for our youths.”

He added that event was also an avenue “to see new technology, form new relationship and also to know that the capacity is there for optimal production in the poultry industry.”

The Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Emmanuel Ejiwere, urged all farmers in the country to collaborate with one another to expand their farm products, lamenting that there were so many small farms in the country which are not profitable.

“All poultry farmers in the country need to come together, there are so many small farms in the country. And these farms are not profitable. Find your neighbour and corporate with him. We are not in any competition, rather be co-operators. We need cooperation and specialization in our agric industry. We need to revolutionalise the way we think. The theme of this show can come to reality, if we think together and support one another in the industry”.

“We must join hands to fight for our farms, fight all the eateries which delay payments, the future millionaires in this country must come from the farmers, there is business in this industry”. He said.

A member, House of Representatives, representing Ilorin East and South, Dr. Amuda Kannike, while delivering his address, said that the federal government should make sure it revolutionalise the agriculture industry like it promised, stressing that truly the industry can reduce the unemployment rate in the country and also tackle insurgency.