$1bn Poultry Mega Project to Drive Food Security, Jobs Hit Homestead as Pilot Begins in Three States

$1bn Poultry Mega Project to Drive Food Security, Jobs Hit Homestead as Pilot Begins in Three States

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria’s push to strengthen food security and cut dependence on poultry imports is set to gain fresh momentum as the $1 billion National Integrated Poultry Project moves into its pilot phase in Enugu, Kaduna and Oyo states.

The project, driven under the Nigeria–China Strategic Partnership (NCSP), is designed as one of the most ambitious agricultural investments in the country’s history, targeting large-scale egg and meat production, expanded feed cultivation and direct support for local farmers.

Director-General and Global Liaison of the NCSP, Joseph Tegbe, announced the take-off of the pilot phase at the weekend during the Chinese New Year Temple Fair in Abuja, held to mark the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and China.

According to Tegbe, the initiative is structured to go beyond commercial farming. When fully operational, it is expected to produce about six million eggs daily, house more than seven million laying birds and over two million broilers, while supporting the cultivation of more than 60,000 hectares of maize and soybeans for feed.

He said the scale of the project positions it as a game-changer for Nigeria’s poultry value chain, with direct implications for employment, farmer incomes and food affordability.

“This is not just a farming project. It is a strategic intervention to stabilise food supply, create jobs across the value chain and restore dignity to agricultural livelihoods,” Tegbe said.

A key component of the initiative, he explained, is the provision of subsidised feedstock, which will not only serve the integrated farms but also support existing poultry farmers who have been hit by rising feed costs.

Beyond agriculture, Tegbe highlighted parallel Nigeria–China collaboration in heavy industry, particularly the planned revitalisation of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex. He said renewed operations at Ajaokuta are projected to yield up to 10 million metric tonnes of steel annually, potentially reshaping Nigeria’s industrial landscape.

“A functional Ajaokuta will power manufacturing, unlock jobs and reposition Nigeria as an industrial force in Africa,” he said, adding that the government is determined to translate long-standing plans into measurable economic outcomes.

On human capital development, Tegbe noted that educational and knowledge-exchange programmes between Nigeria and China are expanding, with more scholarships, joint research initiatives and industrial parks in the pipeline to support technology transfer and innovation.

China’s Chargé d’Affaires to Nigeria, Zhou Hongyou, said the poultry project and other joint initiatives reflect the maturity of bilateral relations built over 55 years. He described the Year of the Horse—under which the celebration falls—as symbolic of hard work, perseverance and progress, values he said mirror the trajectory of Nigeria–China cooperation.

Also speaking, Director of the China Cultural Center in Nigeria, Yang Jianxing, described the growing partnership as one rooted in mutual trust and shared development, stressing that cooperation must continue to deliver concrete benefits for ordinary Nigerians.

The anniversary celebration featured cultural performances, exhibitions and a showcase of Chinese traditions, underscoring the people-to-people dimension of the Nigeria–China relationship as both countries pursue deeper economic and cultural ties.

$1bn Poultry Mega Project to Drive Food Security, Jobs Hit Homestead as Pilot Begins in Three States