Poultry Farmers Urge FG to Fix Power, Security Issues for Import Ban to Yield Results

News in Brief

-Nigeria's poultry association has called on the federal government to fix power and insecurity issues bedevilling the industry for its recent ban on poultry product import to be truly impactful.

-PAN Secretary Hakeem Musa called for subsidies, financing, and consistent policies to prevent supply gaps, price surges, and boost jobs and food security in Nigeria's poultry sector.

The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), FCT Chapter, has called on the Federal Government to urgently address power supply and security issues crippling the agricultural sector, particularly poultry farming. 

Secretary of the chapter, Mr Hakeem Musa, issued this plea during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, in response to the government's recent ban on the import of poultry products and other goods from non-ECOWAS countries.

Import Policy Could Fail without Infrastructure Fix

Speaking to journalists, Musa hailed the recent policy outlined in a Ministry of Finance circular signed by Wale Edun as a 'strategic move in the right direction,' aimed at bolstering local production and curbing dependence on imports.

However, he cautioned that without addressing structural hurdles, the ban risks failure, noting that over 1,000 poultry farms in the FCT have shuttered due to erratic electricity, banditry, and soaring input costs.

“Farmers and agribusiness investors cannot operate optimally in environments where access to farms is threatened or where production and processing costs are driven up by dependence on alternative power sources,” Musa stated.

Structural Bottlenecks Threaten Poultry Viability

Beyond import threats, insecurity, and lack of reliable infrastructure remain a top challenge for the Nigerian agricultural sector. Crop farmers are unable to access farmlands safely, livestock farmers are being kidnapped, killed, and their cattle rustled. All these are happening even as unreliable power supply forces reliance on costly generators, inflating production costs in a sector already strained by feed price surges.

For poultry farmers in particular, the high costs of day-old chicks and other inputs compound the crisis, prompting PAN's longstanding appeals for sustainable policies, including maize and soybean import incentives. 

Musa emphasised that resolving these issues through improved electricity supply, security enhancements, and a robust agricultural ecosystem is crucial for the ban's impact.

He advocated deliberate government interventions which would involve affordable financing, input subsidies, extension services, and market linkages to equip local producers for heightened demand. “Without these complementary measures, local producers may struggle to meet the surge in demand that such a ban is likely to create, potentially leading to price inflation and supply gaps,” Musa warned.

Policy's Promise for Growth and Food Security

The poultry farmer sees the ban as a deliberate push to shield local industries, foster indigenous production, and ease forex pressures across poultry, livestock, and agro-processing. According to him, if properly executed, it could spur economic expansion by enabling farmers and processors to scale up, refine value chains, and satisfy domestic needs.

“The policy also has the potential to create jobs, strengthen food security, conserve foreign exchange and position Nigeria as a competitive player within the West African sub-region,” he said.

Yet, Musa flagged frequent policy flip-flops as a drag on stability, eroding investor trust and complicating planning.

“Policy somersaults undermine investor confidence, make it difficult for businesses to plan, and erode public trust in government decisions,” he said. “Nigeria needs consistency, not trial-and-error policymaking. Policies must be well thought out, properly consulted and clearly communicated before implementation. That is how to build trust, stability and real economic progress."