Ogun State Government has expressed its commitment to closing the gap in poultry production once the ongoing World Bank-assisted programme for a 100,000-capacity broiler facility at Eweje Farm Settlement in Odeda is completed.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, stated this while leading a delegation from the World Bank to inspect the poultry project.

The project, which is being carried out under the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP), a programme supported by the World Bank, also includes five residential apartments with four bedrooms each and three industrial boreholes.

Owotomo expressed satisfaction with the quality and pace of work done, describing it as a major step towards achieving food security, and stressed that the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration was determined to reposition the poultry sub-sector for greater productivity.

“In Nigeria, we are only able to meet about 30 per cent of our demand for chicken consumption. But if this facility produces five times a year, we will have about 700,000 birds annually, which is in line with the aspirations of our governor to increase food security in Ogun State and by extension, the entire country,” the commissioner explained.

He added that, besides enhancing poultry production, the project would create jobs and promote development in Odeda and neighbouring communities, further revealing that similar poultry ventures are being carried out in other parts of the State to support the Eweje facility.

He revealed that a 20,000-capacity poultry pen is under construction in Ijebu Igbo, while 10,000-capacity pens are being developed in Ilaro and Ajegunle Farm Settlements. He also noted that the Ajegunle facility includes a processing plant capable of handling at least 5,000 birds per day, which could increase the State’s capacity to manage an additional 140,000 poultry birds.

On her part, Dr. Oluseyi Olugbire, Project Manager of the Agriculture Sector OGSTEP, explained that the World Bank-assisted programme is already delivering positive results for the state, noting that Ogun State will greatly benefit from the initiative once it is fully completed.

Dr. Olugbire praised both the World Bank team and the state government for their vision and collaboration, assuring that the project will significantly aid agricultural transformation, create jobs, and enhance food security in the State.