Poultry Association of Nigeria Addresses Hatchery Crisis

The increasing consumption of chicken meat in South-East Nigeria has highlighted the challenges faced by poultry farmers, particularly the lack of functional hatcheries. Traditional breeding methods are insufficient to meet the growing demand, as local birds take over six months to mature, compared to three to four months for hatched birds.

The National President of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Ichie Sunday Ezeobiora, noted that the South-East mirrors the South-West in poultry production and consumption. To address these issues, the Eastern International Poultry Summit 2026 was held on September 9th and 10th in Enugu, themed “From Farm to Market: Scaling Nigeria’s Poultry Trade and Investment.” During the summit, farmers expressed concerns about sourcing day-old chicks from Western Nigeria and the associated risks, including extortion and levies.

Prof. Anthony C Mgbeahuruike, the Commissioner for Livestock in Imo State, acknowledged the difficulties faced by farmers in sourcing these essential supplies.