Ogun State Chairman of Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria (PANOG), Engr. Idowu Adenuga has identified poor funding, insecurity, and low egg consumption as some of the factors affecting the growth of poultry farming in Nigeria.

Asanga, who said this in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital while addressing newsmen ahead of this year’s World Eggs Day scheduled for tomorrow (Friday), pointed to the rising cost of poultry feeds as another challenge facing the poultry business in the country. He, therefore, called on federal and state governments and other critical stakeholders, including banks, to assist poultry farmers with single-digit interest credit facilities and provide adequate security to enhance farming activities in the country. Asenuga said, “there are 63 million chickens spread across poultry farms in Nigeria as of October 2022 with Ogun State producing 10 million of them”.

“Also, Nigeria produces 10 billion eggs annually with an average consumption rate of 50 eggs per person yearly as against China which produces 472.6billion eggs per year with 315 eggs consumption per person annually”.Meanwhile, the Ogun State government has assured that it will not renege in its efforts at prioritizing the safety of poultry farmers safety and investment across the state.

Speaking through the Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Agriculture, Dr. Angel Adelaja – Kuye, the government, which recalled that a synergy already existed between it and the farmers, vowed to ensure that funds from the federal government for poultry farmers is timed right and does not stand at the detriment of farmers.

In his health advice which he delivered earlier, Dr. Nurudeen Gbadamosi of the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta dispelled the myths and misconceptions that eggs consumption is unhealthy, particularly to persons of a certain age because of the erroneous belief that it could lead to building up of bad cholesterol. Emphasizing that people of a certain age should not be scared of eating eggs due to their health benefits, Gbadamosi said egg contains vital vitamins, minerals and protein required regular to maintain healthy body function, build the body’s immune system, supply energy for work and blood clothing in the event of injury.