The desire of the Nigeria poultry industry to create five million jobs has been described as “completely in-tune” with the mission of the Buhari’s led administration.

Speaking at the 2015 Nigeria Poultry Show organised by the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) which was held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the Chief speaker, a member of the House of Representative Ilorin East/South Federal Constituency, Hon. Dr. Abubakar Amuda-Kannike said the ambition of the Poultry Industry in Nigeria represents one of the solutions to the current rebellious crisis bedeviling our nation.

Amuda-Kannike said the theme of the event: “Poultry Value Chain: Unlocking One Trillion Naira Industry and Five Million Jobs”, coincide with the current change agenda which attempt to focus on job creation particularly via agriculture.

He said the theme also shows the desire of a group of people who believe in Nigeria project and are therefore working to compliment the efforts of the government to turn around the fortune of Nigerians by providing food and job security.

“As a country that is blessed with great natural resources, it will only be expected that as a people we take advantage of our heavily endowed environment. Once people can fend for themselves, the ability to commit crime will be reduced” Amuda-Kannike said.

Looking at the poultry industry in overview, the Chief speaker noted that if there is one thing that is universal, it is the world’s love for chicken.

“There is no doubt that the continuous increase in the demand for poultry products favours  poultry production, eggs and poultry meats over beef or cattle production to meet global protein needs.

“Poultry especially chicken and eggs are said to combine about 30.5 percent of the protein intake of Nigerians, nonetheless, harnessing the huge potentials of poultry products requires a very complex chain which in its self must engage expertise, finance, capital, logistics, labour and manpower” he explained.

Amuda-Kannike said this explains why the poultry industry in Nigeria is heavily characterised by subsistence of backyard and semi-commercial farmers with less than 1000 birds.

However, he noted that inasmuch as the Nigeria poultry industry is predominated by backyard farmers, the industry is still adjured to be estimated at about 80 million naira, which is about 400 million dollars, with over 100 million birds which produce 650 thousand metric tons of eggs and 290 thousand metric tons of poultry meat in 2013.

“The poultry industry is currently estimated to be responsible for contributing 25 percent of Nigerians Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“The desire therefore of the Nigeria poultry industry to initiate a plan of providing jobs is completely in-tune with the mission of the current administration. In the words of President Muhammadu Buhari ‘Diversification of our economy is no longer something to pay lip service to’ Thus, there is no gain saying the fact that job creation in the country that has unemployment rate higher than 24 percent, invariably connotes putting a square peg in a square hole” he said.

Amuda-Kannike explained that the beauty of positioning agriculture in the economy can be derived from its huge multiplier effect, consequently expanding the frontiers of agriculture like the poultry industry is attempting to do, will certainly feed the country, provide jobs, reduce crime and insurgency and overall cause the necessary push for economic growth and development in Nigeria.

He noted that given that the agro-allied businesses and industries account for about 30 percent of national income in Africa, a large number of Africans depend on agriculture for their livelihood.

“If the Nigeria poultry industry is at the very verge of maximizing its potential by virtue of our peculiarity as a country with vast arable land as well as a large number of population, it is my believe that providing the five million jobs as stated by PAN is possible” the Chief speaker said

However Amuda-Kannike stated that one of the greatest challenges in the poultry industry in Nigeria is the inability of the backyard or subsistent poultry farmers to migrate freely to large scale or commercial farming.

This according to him is fuelled by lack of finance as accessing of capital for business expansion is not easy in Nigeria and lending institutions especially commercial and micro-finance banks across the country have made it extremely difficult and unattractive for a large number of framers – particularly the poor farmers – to secure loans as theses banks attach unattainable conditions beyond the reach of the farmers.

He said “it is also lack of finance that enhances the low quality of production of feeds which is indeed another challenge facing the poultry industry in Nigeria. The process of producing poultry feeds is not properly handled and processed due to finance.”

Another challenge noted is the issue of pest and diseases control; poor electricity or inadequate power and water supply as component of basic infrastructure in Nigeria is already flocked; poor state of slaughtering houses of meat and egg processing facilities; shortage of agricultural extension agents and Vetinary health professionals especially for the rural local poultry farmers.

“Furthermore, are the challenges of inadequate data, poor marketing and information systems and the challenge of proper waste management – which is a great source of concern for environmental and health issues.

“Unlocking the potential of the Nigeria Industry therefore means addressing the major challenges confronting poultry in Nigeria” Amuda-Kannike said.