AN ADDRESS OF THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT, POULTRY ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA, CHIEF SUNDAY EZEOBIORA ON THE OCCASION OF THE PAN NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS’ MEETING AT THE KAKANFO INN & CONFERENCE CENTRE, IBADAN, OYO STATE

TUESDAY 16TH JULY, 2024.

Distinguished Members of the Central Working Committee present, Great members of the Stakeholders of our Association, other invited Officers/Chairmen of the Association, Great Farmers!!

I am greatly delighted to welcome us all to this meeting of the Major Stakeholders of the Association. My leadership decided to bring this meeting to Ibadan instead of Abuja for the obvious reason of ensuring this meeting is closer to the majority of the stakeholders located within the Lagos/Ibadan axis and as part of our focused objective of participatory engagement in PAN administration. It is my wish that the outcome of today’s meeting will build on and further drive the smooth running and effective administration of the Poultry Industry in the Country.

It is worth noting that our Association has been at the forefront of advocacy and lobby for better policies to grow the Poultry Industry in Nigeria. You will recall that it is through the concerted efforts of our Association that some taxes like VAT was removed on Feeds, which has saved our members into Feed milling, tens of billions of naira.

Since I assumed the leadership of this Association, various efforts have been made to restructure and reposition the industry, and this can be summarised as follows:-

⚫ The organization of the 3rd Poultry Summit which took place in the last quarter of 2023. At the end of the Summit, an elaborate and comprehensive communiqué was sent to the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security. Part of the contents of the Communiqué was the importation of basic raw materials like Maize at zero tariff and other taxes.

⚫ The formation and inauguration of Working Committees based on sub-commodities and sectors within the industry as promised during my election, that I was going to set up various working Committees as a participatory model of administrating the industry. As at reporting, we have eleven working sub-groups though some are not very active, it is my appeal that all those who are Chairmen of the various Committees invited to this meeting take their assignments very seriously as this moment in the industry calls for all hands to be on deck.

⚫ It is also very worth mentioning that recently, a Constitution Review Committee was inaugurated. The composition of the Committee was based on the recommendation of two members each from the six zones of the Association and three other independent nominees from the leadership of the Association. The outcome of the Constitution Review recommendation will be looked into with a view to having an acceptable constitution for the Association.

ISSUES OF CRITICAL CHALLENGES TO THE INDUSTRY:
It is common knowledge and pain to all of us that the industry has faced various challenges in recent years. These ranges from the near absence and high cost of our basic raw materials which are Maize and Soyabeans and other inputs. While we have had various support from the Government through the allocation of Maize to the industry in past years, it was to our great astonishment that despite various physical meetings with the Honourable Ministers of Agriculture and Food Security and that of Industries, Trade and Investments and various presentations, there has been no support from the Government to the Association. My Leadership went further to write to the Presidency availing them the position of the industry and all that were needed to rescue the industry from total collapse but nothing tangible was done after their written response and communication. It has been very astonishing.

Notwithstanding the above, I am happy that eventually, after these concerted efforts, although seemingly belated, the Government has been able to consider our recommendations by allowing for the importation of food commodities at zero tariffs and taxes for five months.

Another most worrying issue to the challenges of the industry is the issue of petroleum price deregulation, and floatation of the Naira although the implications cost across all sectors of the economy, it has affected the production and marketing of the products of the industry. All we have witnessed in all these have been increased high cost of production and a dwindled purchasing power of the people to buy poultry and poultry products.

SUSPENSION OF TAXES ON IMPORTED FOODS
My colleagues and gentlemen, we could recall that last week, the government suspended the payment of tariffs and taxes on the importation of some basic food items for a period of 150 days (5 months). While this policy is laudable, what is expected of us as stakeholders at the moment is to position ourselves to take advantage of the opportunity this policy offer. It is my suggestion that as stakeholders who have all suffered in all these, this meeting offers us the opportunity to discuss how we could all take advantage of the suspension of tariffs and taxes in order to import Maize that can be stocked for the 2024/2025 season since we do not know what shall be the harvest for 2024.

SALES AND MARKETING OF PRODUCTS
It is important that we should also not be oblivious of the fact that we need to be campaigning for enhanced local production and consumption of Nigerian grown poultry and poultry products so that we don't allow for the opportunity for the government to contemplate liberalizing the poultry industry for import. This is very necessary as any attempt to remove the ban on imported poultry products: Eggs and
Chicken into the country will signal a death kernel for the disintegration of the poultry industry.

The present economic challenges have continued to negatively impact the purchasing power and we need to, now than ever before, to promote and market our products to sustain growth of the Industry.

It is inline with this that my Leadership had started some efforts towards promotion of Chicken and Egg consumption through Media meetings and releases. This, however, has been quite limited due to the paucity of Funds.

FUNDING FOR THE ASSOCIATION
The most worrisome issue since my leadership came on board has been the issue of funding for the Association. The reality is that over the years the Association was being sustained by the little check off from the Maize allocation to the industry by the Government. Since the Government have not allocated the Association MAIZE in nearly two years now and the states and major stakeholders have not been paying their subscriptions, it has been very difficult to run and properly position the Association for the desired results. As at this meeting, it is only the Oyo State Chapter of the Association that has paid One Million Naira as their subscription. We have equally received 2(two) million naira from Hope Integrated Farms and 1(One) million each from Chi Farms Ltd and Sunchi Integrated Farms as their subscription for the year 2024. This is indeed very worrisome and thwarts the various focus on our Product Promotion and Marketing, continuous lobbying/advocacy to government and partners, and funding the various Subcommittees amongst others.

The truth is that there is little the Association can do for the industry if it has no financial resources to embark on lobbying, advocacy and the promotion/consumption of poultry products among other initiatives that are meant to position the industry for global competition and innovation.

To assure stakeholders of my leadership’s commitment to accountable processes, I had to institute a budget mechanism whereby two members of the Central Working Committee (CWC) working with the National office had to evolve a budget for the Association. The budget mechanism headed by a Chartered Accountant and an Auditor of the Association has at hand a presentation to stakeholders at this
meeting.

It is my plea to us at this meeting to have the patience to discuss sustainable ways of funding the Association just like any other similar association all over the world. Our dream for a viable and strong poultry industry is in our hands as owners of the industry. We must take full control of the industry which is impossible without financial resources. I, therefore, solicit all your support in contributing to plans and pathways for the sustainable funding of the industry.

THE NEW MINISTRY OF LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT
As we are all aware, a new Ministry of Livestock Development has been created by the Government. Now that the Livestock sector has its own Ministry, I believe that this is the right moment for the Association to come up with robust contributions and inputs that will reposition the poultry industry for better performance.

Gentlemen and colleague farmers, the problems at hand in the poultry industry are numerous and as such we need to be united and proactive in all our actions for the better poultry industry in Nigeria.

Thank you