One million metric tonnes of chicken are smuggled illegally into Nigeria each year, according to the Feed Practitioners Association of Nigeria (FIPAN), which affects both local poultry producers and the sector as a whole.
Unofficial channels allow this flood of illegal poultry meat to enter the market, posing serious difficulties for domestic producers. This problem was brought up in an address given in Lagos by FIPAN’s recently appointed president, Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, after he was appointed to the position.
His worry was the amount of chicken flesh that was being smuggled into the nation, which was increasing. He had this to say: “Poultry meat remains the most smuggled and imported meat into Nigeria.
“Around one million metric tonnes of chicken find their way into our market every year through illegal routes. This has placed a heavy burden on local producers, creating unfair competition,” Dr. Oduntan added.
Despite the large volume of illegally imported poultry, Nigeria’s per capita consumption of chicken remains low, averaging about 2.2 kilos per person. The gap between this number and South Africa’s 39 kilograms per capita, according to FIPAN’s President, should prompt industry players to take action. He admitted that there have been many difficulties faced by Nigerian chicken growers.
He claims that the industry is essential to Nigeria’s agricultural economy and feeds millions of people there. However, the previous three years have been difficult for the poultry industry, despite its critical role.
There are presently 180 million chickens in Nigeria’s poultry industry, 80 million of which are raised in extensive systems, 60 million in semi-intensive systems, and 40 million in intensive systems. The nation’s food supply is greatly augmented by the production of poultry, which produces about 650,000 metric tonnes of eggs and 300,000 metric tonnes of meat yearly.
The sector is estimated to be worth $4.2 billion overall, and in 2019, US$2 billion was consumed annually from poultry products. Despite these numbers, the massive amounts of illegal meat that are coming onto the market continue to harm local producers, BrandSpur local news brand reports.
