•Huge protein deficiency in Nigeria worry stakeholders Oluchi Chibuzor The Feed Practitioners Association of Nigeria (FIPAN) has revealed that about one metric tonnes of smuggled chicken enter into the Nigerian market annually through illegal channels. According to the association, this undermines local production and creates unfair competition for the country’s hardworking poultry farmers. Speaking shortly after his inauguration in Lagos, as the new President of FIPAN, Dr.
Ayoola Oduntan, said the amount of smuggled chicken into the country’s market annually through illegal channels was about one million metric tonnes. According to him, “One area of concern is the increasing rate of poultry meat being smuggled into the country. Despite our efforts, poultry remains the most imported and illegally smuggled meat in Nigeria, with an estimated one million metric tons entering the market annually through illegal channels.
“This undermines local production and creates unfair competition for our hardworking poultry farmers. Even with this massive volume of smuggled poultry meat, our per capita consumption in Nigeria stands at only 2.2kg, a stark contrast to 39kg per capita in South Africa.
This disparity should be a call to action for all of us.” Reflecting on the pivotal role their industry plays in sustaining Nigeria’s agricultural backbone by ensuring the nutrition and well-being of millions of Nigerians, Oduntan acknowledged, “that the last three years have prese.