Nigeria’s poultry farmers are seeking urgent government intervention to reduce production costs and address shortages of day-old chicks, warning that high feed prices, inadequate financing, disease outbreaks and insecurity are threatening the sustainability of the industry.
The call came in Abeokuta, Ogun State, ahead of the 2026 Nigerian Poultry Show, themed “Building a Sustainable and Resilient Poultry Industry in Challenging Times,” scheduled for November 3 to 5 at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Complex in Oke-Mosan.
In a report published today, October 23, 2026, The Guardian said industry stakeholders identified rising grain prices, limited access to affordable credit, inadequate insurance coverage and shortages of day-old chicks as major challenges confronting poultry farmers.
Rev. Oluleye Gideon Olugbeja, chairman of the Poultry Association of Nigeria’s South-West zone and the association’s national vice-president for the region, said the industry needed practical strategies to remain sustainable despite the country’s economic challenges.
Olugbeja said the poultry sector could help reduce food costs and improve access to protein if farmers adopted better technologies, improved production methods and secured the investment needed to expand their businesses.
He also stressed that food security was closely linked to national stability, arguing that efforts to protect the country must include ensuring adequate food supplies for citizens.
Dr Olalekan Odunsi, chairman of the Nigerian Poultry Show and a poultry farmer, identified high grain prices, inadequate financing, insecurity, disease outbreaks, insufficient insurance coverage and shortages of day-old chicks, particularly pullets, as major constraints.
According to The Guardian report today, Odunsi said feed accounted for about 75% of poultry production costs, making affordable and reliable supplies of essential ingredients critical to farmers’ survival.
He called for improved access to agricultural loans at affordable interest rates, including single-digit financing, to help farmers expand production and meet demand.
Odunsi also urged insurance companies to develop products that protect poultry farmers against losses arising from disease outbreaks and other unforeseen events. He said the rising cost of day-old chicks, alongside the expense of raising pullets to the point of lay, was placing additional pressure on farmers.
The challenges are also affecting poultry operators in northern Nigeria.
In a report published on October 20, 2026, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that poultry farmers in Kano State had appealed for subsidised feed and medication to cushion rising production costs.
The report quoted farmer Aminu Nabegu as saying a bag of Ultima Plus feed had increased from ₦20,000 to ₦23,000, while Ultima feed rose from ₦18,000 to ₦21,000. He also said day-old chick prices had climbed from between ₦500 and ₦700 to about ₦2,000.
The figures illustrate the pressure facing farmers who must balance rising input costs against consumers’ ability to afford eggs and chicken.
The Federal Government has also acknowledged supply constraints in the poultry industry. In a statement dated June 10, 2026, the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development announced plans to strengthen oversight of poultry import allocations to address bottlenecks affecting day-old chick availability and production costs.
The Nigerian Poultry Show is expected to bring together farmers, investors, researchers, financial institutions and government representatives to discuss technologies, financing opportunities and practical solutions for improving productivity.
Industry stakeholders say stronger collaboration across the poultry value chain will be necessary to lower production costs, sustain farmers’ businesses and improve the availability of affordable animal protein in Nigeria.
