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Originally established by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Erifun Livestock Development Centre, located in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital had been abandoned. ‘YOMI AYELESO visited the centre and reports how the engagement of youths in the broiler production scheme by the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji is yielding desired results and enhancing food security.
There have been calls on state governments to be deliberate in their investment in the agriculture value chain for the nation to achieve food sufficiency for citizens and enhance economic empowerment.
The Ekiti State government, under the leadership of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, has in the last two years invested in the agriculture sector by clearing lands for farmers mostly youths, provision of seedlings and fertilisers and creation of farm clusters and settlement across the state.
Worthy of note is the establishment of an initiative called Ekiti State Broiler Production scheme (EBOPS). Under this programme, interested youths are trained and empowered in the broiler production value chain for economic empowerment and availability of protein for the people in the state and beyond.
According to the government, the programme is aimed at enhancing self-reliance and economic empowerment by producing successful poultry farmers and entrepreneurs in agri-business in line with the shared prosperity agenda of the administration.
To achieve this, the administration rehabilitated the hitherto abandoned Erifun Livestock Development Centre which was established by the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo during his time in the region. The centre was adequately equipped and furnished with necessary equipment and facilities to make training and stay of the participants conducive.
No fewer than six brooding pens are currently in use in the hub and at the end of the first cohorts, participants made profit amounting to N20 million after selling the broilers in the open market and popular eateries and restaurants across the country.
The government also links trainees with buyers across the country. Train has successfully raised 40,000 broilers within a year in batches of 10,000 broilers per cycle.
One of the participants, Abdulfatah Yusuf, who has been in the centre for about 50 days said the initiative has impacted the lives of the participants, adding that youths who showed interest in poultry business would be empowered in making success in the sector.
He said, “It is a very good opportunity as created by the state government for us to be successful poultry farmers. So far, it has impacted significantly as a means of employment opportunities for us as youths.
“I am optimistic that after the training, I will venture fully into poultry farming because I am passionate about this aspect of farming. Don’t forget that it will help us to achieve the third SDGs which is Food for All.
“With the market already, there will be more food for the people in terms of protein and we will have more healthy and productive citizens.”
Yusuf called on the government to ensure the sustainability and expansion of the project so as to enable more youths in the state to participate for economic empowerment and development of the society.
“I want the government to ensure the continuation of the programme because I think it will help the youths a lot especially now that there are no longer employment opportunities in the country,” he said.
On her part, the supervisor of the participants, Ajibua-Jesus Tolulope explained that the government’s efforts at ensuring markets for the broilers have significantly ensured the success of the programme.
She revealed that N20 million have been made by the participants in the first cohort from selling over 5,000 birds, saying that the youth have expressed readiness of the scheme to make themselves successful agriprenuers.
Tolulope said, “I see a lot of youths getting something from this project at the end of the day. They will be able to raise broilers from day one to six weeks. The participants have really impressed us so far.
“I see income for them and they will be able to set up something like this in future to reduce joblessness. The youth will be empowered and stand on their own for economic growth.
“The interesting thing about this project is that there is a ready market for it because people eat chicken every day. We have trained them such that if they can raise chickens for four weeks maximum, there will be a lot of profit. People can even buy at two weeks for those who want to raise in their respective homes and environment.
“Out of about 10,000, we have 4,500 chicks remaining. The rest have been sold. If we allow people to come individually to the farm, nothing will be left.
“I really want to thank the government for this project. The environment is highly conducive for youths and the idea of bringing buyers for them is impressive.”
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Ebenezer Boluwade, told Nigerian Tribune that the administration will replicate the projects across the three senatorial districts to accommodate more youths in the state.
He said that the administration would sustain and support the programme towards making the state the destination of healthy supply of chicken across the country for economic development of Ekiti.
According to him, “We have about four stages in the whole project so that we will be able to track their performances for optimum results. We want to build more pens in this place and as they are graduating, we will lease out to them to manage and pay us. What we are doing now is about training and empowerment.
“Their profit goes directly to them and immediately after sales they remove the cost of operations.”
On the impact, the commissioner said, “For the first cohort, they earned a profit of N20 million after paying the cost of operations. Some of them have gathered themselves together to secure a place where they are doing about 6,000 birds.
“Through the World Bank-assisted programme, we will build more pens for them to start raising their own birds. We engaged some participants in the first cohort as teachers (train the trainers) and we paid them as well.
“At the moment, we are doing everything possible to meet the market demands because we are seeing organisations and businesses coming from other states to buy.
“We are doing 10,000 now and we are planning to start 40,000 birds. We are also starting from Ikole and Ilupeju in the Northern senatorial districts. Our plan is to see birds moving to the abattoir every week.”
Boluwade also reiterated the plans of the government to establish processing centres in the state with the support of the world bank to enhance effective production and supply of the birds to the target markets.
“Looking at the cost of transportation and other logistics in coming to the state to move the mature birds, we are planning to have our processing centre in the state. Don’t forget, you can’t carry live birds for hours in traffic, they can’t survive it.
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“They are looking for a way they can process after buying it. We are hoping with the support of the World Bank, we will have it by providing the land and the private sector can come in.
“As we are producing, we will be moving them to the abattoir. Then they can sell to any part of the country. Through that we will have more employment opportunities for our people,” he said.
Following the success of the first and second cohorts of the project, the commissioner disclosed that the State Executive Council few days ago approved the sum of N85.5 million for the expansion of the project, saying that, “this is important to engage people in the Northern senatorial district with a view to ensuring that youths in the area benefit from the thriving initiative.”
On the sustainability of the initiative, Boluwade said, “All our programmes are private sector driven and what we do as a government is to facilitate the private sector into the business and allow them to run the structure without interference. When there is profit in a venture, the private sector will embrace it.
“All we do is provide the enabling environment especially in the area of infrastructures like the dams and the rest. The veterinary doctors and officials from the ministry are always here to look after the birds.”
