Nigeria’s drive to enhance food security and reduce reliance on poultry imports is set to gain momentum as the $1 billion National Integrated Poultry Project begins its pilot phase in Enugu, Kaduna and Oyo states.
The project, being implemented under the Nigeria–China Strategic Partnership (NCSP), ranks among the most ambitious agricultural investments in the country’s history. It targets large-scale egg and meat production, expanded feed cultivation and structured support for local poultry farmers.
Director-General and Global Liaison of the NCSP, Joseph Tegbe, announced the commencement of the pilot phase at the weekend during the Chinese New Year Temple Fair in Abuja, organised to commemorate the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and China.
Tegbe said the initiative is designed to deliver outcomes beyond commercial farming. At full capacity, the project is projected to produce about six million eggs daily, house over seven million laying birds and more than two million broilers, while supporting the cultivation of more than 60,000 hectares of maize and soybeans for poultry feed.
He described the scale of the investment as a potential game-changer for Nigeria’s poultry value chain, with far-reaching implications for employment generation, 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 major component of the programme, he added, is the provision of subsidised feedstock to serve both the integrated farms and existing poultry producers who have been severely affected by rising feed costs.
Beyond agriculture, Tegbe highlighted broader Nigeria–China cooperation in heavy industry, particularly plans to revitalise the Ajaokuta Steel Complex. He said renewed operations at Ajaokuta could yield up to 10 million metric tonnes of steel annually, with the potential to significantly reshape Nigeria’s industrial base.
“A functional Ajaokuta will drive manufacturing, unlock jobs and reposition Nigeria as a leading industrial force in Africa,” he said, noting that the government is focused on translating long-standing plans into tangible economic results.
On human capital development, Tegbe noted that educational and knowledge-exchange programmes between both countries are expanding, with increased scholarships, joint research initiatives and proposed industrial parks aimed at strengthening technology transfer and innovation.
China’s Chargé d’Affaires to Nigeria, Zhou Hongyou, said the poultry project and other joint initiatives demonstrate the depth and maturity of bilateral relations cultivated over 55 years. He described the Year of the Horse, under which the anniversary celebration falls, as symbolic of hard work, perseverance and progress—qualities he said reflect Nigeria–China cooperation.
Also speaking, Director of the China Cultural Center in Nigeria, Yang Jianxing, said the partnership is anchored on mutual trust and shared development, stressing the need for cooperation to deliver tangible benefits to ordinary Nigerians.
The anniversary celebration featured cultural performances, exhibitions and displays of Chinese traditions, highlighting the people-to-people dimension of the Nigeria–China relationship as both countries pursue deeper economic and cultural engagement.
