Gov Dapo Abiodun Powers Ogun’s 1.3 Million-Bird Poultry Processing Boom
The Ogun State Government, under Governor Dapo Abiodun, has expanded its poultry processing capacity by an additional 1.3 million birds annually with the completion of a 5,000-birds-per-day processing facility at the Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Odeda Local Government Area, under the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP).
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, disclosed this during an inspection tour of Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Eweje Farm Institute and Odo Fufu in Odeda and Yewa South Local Government Areas, marking the first phase of the State Government’s tour of ongoing and completed Agricultural projects initiated under Governor Abiodun’s economic transformation Agenda.
Owotomo said the new facility would significantly reduce poultry importation while strengthening Local Production, in line with the Abiodun Administration’s commitment to food security and agribusiness development.
He noted that Ajegunle Farm Settlement, now designated as a poultry hub by the State Government, hosts about 400 resident farmers and has continued to attract private investment following the provision of modern infrastructure such as blast freezers, cold rooms, waste processing units, a warehouse with fitted offices, and poultry pens with a 20,000-bird capacity.
According to him, a private investor has also completed a 13,000-capacity poultry pen at the settlement, further underscoring its growing commercial value and the confidence investors have in the Agricultural reforms of the Abiodun Administration.
The Commissioner revealed that 28 Agricultural projects have been completed across the State in the last two years through OGSTEP.
He added that other initiatives of the Abiodun-led Government, including the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), OG-CARES and the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ), have played key roles in revitalising the State’s Agricultural sector.
“These projects are designed to increase food productivity, improve farmers’ livelihoods and reduce post-harvest losses, which are currently estimated at about ₦3.5 trillion annually in Nigeria,” Owotomo said.
He further explained that Nigeria’s per capita chicken consumption, estimated at between 1.7kg and 2kg, remains far below figures in Ghana (13kg), South Africa (36kg) and Brazil (46kg), despite the Country importing about 70 per cent of its poultry requirements, a situation Governor Abiodun’s administration is determined to reverse through large-scale investments in Local Production.
At the Eweje Farm Institute, where 10 poultry pens with a capacity of 10,000 birds each and five four-bedroom residential buildings have been constructed, Owotomo assured that the State Government’s sustained investment in Agricultural infrastructure would reinforce Ogun State’s position as Nigeria’s leading Poultry Hub.
At Odo Fufu in Ilaro, where a cassava processing facility has also been established, he said the project would enhance value addition and raise farmers’ incomes, further supporting Governor Abiodun’s Agenda of inclusive economic growth.
On sustainability, the Commissioner stressed that farmers would be encouraged to take ownership of the facilities, supported by strong monitoring and evaluation by the Ministry and Public-Private Partnership arrangements to ensure long-term viability.
In separate remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Angel Adelaja, and the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Kehinde Jokotoye, said the projects would significantly boost productivity and strengthen the State’s economy.
Also speaking, the Principal of the Odeda Training Institute, Mr. Ademola Benco, and the Chairman of Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Mr. Rotimi Sogunle, described the projects as unprecedented and capable of transforming Agricultural production in Ogun State and Nigeria.
The Commissioner was accompanied on the tour by the Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Waliu Owode, and Senior Directors from the Ministry.
