Poultry Association Tasks Govt On Power, Security Challenges

The FCT chapter of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has urged the federal government to address persistent power and security challenges affecting the country’s agricultural sector.

Secretary of the chapter, Mr Hakeem Musa,  made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday.

He was reacting to the government’s recent ban on importation of poultry products, cement, pharmaceuticals and other goods.

The government on April 1, banned the importation of cement, poultry products, pharmaceuticals and other agricultural goods from countries outside the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Musa described the policy as a strategic move in the right direction, but warned that its success would depend on addressing critical structural bottlenecks.

He noted that more than 1,000 poultry farms had shut down within the FCT due to operational challenges, including inadequate electricity supply and insecurity.

Musa identified key constraints in the sector as insecurity, unreliable power supply, and the high cost of inputs, including day-old chicks.

“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,” he said.

He stressed that addressing insecurity, improving electricity supply, and strengthening the agricultural ecosystem were essential for the policy to achieve measurable impact.

“There is a need for deliberate government support in the form of access to affordable financing, input subsidies, extension services and market linkages.

“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 said. (NAN)