The Ogun State Government has announced that its newly constructed poultry processing facility with a capacity of 5,000 birds per day at Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Odeda Local Government Area, can process an additional 1.3 million birds annually, a move aimed at strengthening food security and reducing poultry importation.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Bolu Owotomo, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by the ministry’s spokesperson, Mr Gbenga Morounfolu, during his inspection visit to Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Eweje Farm Institute and Odo Fufu in Odeda and Yewa South Local Government Areas.
The visit marked the first phase of the commissioner’s tour of ongoing and completed agricultural projects across the state.
According to the statement, the poultry processing facility was acquired under the World Bank-supported Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP). Owotomo said the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun remained committed to supporting farmers and scaling up food production statewide.
He said, “The recently constructed 5,000-birds-per-day poultry processing facility at Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Odeda Local Government Area, has the capacity to process an additional 1.3 million birds annually. This will significantly reduce poultry importation and also create employment opportunities for our teeming youth population.”
Owotomo added that the Ajegunle Farm Settlement, designated as a poultry hub, currently hosts about 400 resident farmers. He noted that newly provided complementary facilities—such as blast freezers, cold rooms, waste processing facilities, a warehouse with fitted offices and poultry pens with a combined capacity of 20,000 birds—have continued to attract private sector investment.
He further disclosed that a private investor recently completed the construction of a 13,000-capacity poultry pen at the settlement, underscoring its growing economic importance.
The commissioner revealed that the state government, through OGSTEP, had completed 28 agricultural projects across Ogun State in the last two years. He added that other intervention programmes, including the Value Chain Development Programme, OG-CARES and the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, had also played key roles in revitalising the agricultural sector.
“These projects are designed to increase food productivity, improve farmers’ livelihoods and reduce post-harvest losses in Nigeria, which are currently estimated at ₦3.5 trillion annually,” he said.
Owotomo noted that Nigeria’s per capita chicken consumption ranges between 1.7kg and 2kg, compared with 13kg in Ghana, 36kg in South Africa and 46kg in Brazil. He stressed that despite importing about 70 per cent of its poultry requirements, Nigeria still lags significantly behind in consumption.
At the Eweje Farm Institute, where 10 poultry pens capable of producing 10,000 birds each and five four-bedroom residential buildings have been constructed, the commissioner assured that sustained investment in agricultural infrastructure would further consolidate Ogun State’s status as Nigeria’s leading poultry hub.
At Odo Fufu in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area, where a cassava processing facility has been built to serve numerous farmers, Owotomo said the project would enhance value addition and increase farmers’ incomes.
On sustainability, he said farmers were being encouraged to take ownership of the facilities, adding that the ministry would ensure strong monitoring and evaluation, alongside public-private partnerships, to guarantee long-term viability.
In separate remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Angel Adelaja, and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, said the projects would significantly boost agricultural productivity and strengthen the state’s economy.
Also speaking, the Principal of Odeda Training Institute, Mr Ademola Benco, and the Chairman of Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Mr Rotimi Sogunle, described the projects as unprecedented and first of their kind, noting that full utilisation would further enhance agricultural output in Ogun State and across Nigeria.
Dip Connect Online News reports that although Nigeria officially bans imported frozen poultry to protect local farmers, the restriction remains porous, with widespread smuggling creating supply gaps that are filled by illegal imports. Rising local demand continues to push up prices despite government interventions and growth in the poultry industry.
The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission has also observed that while the ban has encouraged domestic production and job creation, Nigeria’s inability to meet demand has allowed large volumes of smuggled poultry to enter the market, creating a complex supply environment for local producers.
Elijah Adeyemi
