The South East Development Commission (SEDC) has identified poultry production as a priority sector for stimulating economic growth, creating jobs and reducing the region’s dependence on food supplies from outside the South-East.
The commission disclosed the plan on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at the Eastern International Poultry Summit 2026 in Enugu, organised by the South-East zone of the Poultry Association of Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, SEDC Executive Director for Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Cliff Ogbede, said the commission intends to commit resources to rebuilding the poultry value chain and expanding production across the region. He represented SEDC Managing Director, Mark Okoye Jr., at the summit.
Ogbede said a stronger poultry industry could improve food availability, generate employment and stimulate wider economic activity across the five South-East states.
SEDC’s intervention forms part of its broader mandate to promote sustainable development, investment and economic growth across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states.
The commission said its objective is not limited to supporting individual farmers but to strengthen the wider poultry ecosystem so that the region can substantially increase its production capacity.
Ogbede linked the strategy to the economic development model associated with former Eastern Region Premier Michael Okpara, whose administration promoted agriculture and industrial development during the 1950s and 1960s.
According to the SEDC official, the commission has reviewed aspects of that historical development approach with the assistance of experts to determine how it can be adapted to present-day economic conditions.
The focus is expected to extend beyond poultry farms to the businesses and infrastructure required to make commercial production sustainable.
Key areas requiring attention include:
- Poultry production and farm expansion
- Local feed production
- Hatchery development
- Processing and value addition
- Animal disease management
- Distribution and market access
- Investment in agricultural infrastructure
The approach reflects SEDC’s wider strategy of using agriculture and other productive sectors to expand the regional economy. Earlier this year, the commission said it wanted to grow the South-East economy substantially over the next decade through investment in sectors including agriculture, industry, technology and infrastructure.
Stakeholders at the summit identified several structural problems that have weakened poultry production in the region.
One major concern is the dependence on feed and other inputs sourced from outside the South-East. Rising production costs can make it difficult for farmers to compete, particularly when they have limited access to affordable local raw materials.
Former United States Department of Agriculture adviser Uche Nzeka called for a comprehensive poultry development strategy capable of addressing these constraints.
Among the challenges identified were:
- Limited availability of commercial hatcheries
- Dependence on feed produced outside the region
- Weak coordination of animal disease responses
- High production costs
- Gaps across the poultry value chain
Nzeka also proposed an integrated commercial structure that would connect production, processing and marketing within the region.
Such integration could reduce some of the inefficiencies that occur when farmers depend heavily on suppliers and markets outside their immediate operating environment.
The poultry discussion also highlighted a problem that extends beyond poultry farming itself: the availability of grain for animal feed.
President of the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Nnanyelugo Onyemelukwe, argued that the South-East would need to increase grain production if it wants to compete with other parts of Nigeria in the manufacture of animal feed.
He called for greater investment in water infrastructure, including dams, to support agricultural production.
This is important because poultry expansion cannot be sustained simply by increasing the number of farms. Farmers also need reliable access to affordable feed, chicks, veterinary services, processing facilities and functioning markets.
A regional strategy that tackles those interconnected requirements could have a broader impact than isolated farm-support programmes.
The poultry initiative comes as SEDC develops a broader economic programme for the five South-East states.
The commission’s official mandate includes driving sustainable development, encouraging investment, supporting infrastructure and improving living standards across the region. Its stated vision is to make the South-East a major investment destination in Africa by 2035.
In March, SEDC Managing Director Mark Okoye disclosed a long-term ambition to expand the regional economy from an estimated $40 billion to about $200 billion over 10 years.
The commission’s 2026 budget included N140 billion for development activities, although SEDC later told the Senate that less than 10 per cent of the allocation had been released at the time of its June oversight appearance.
That funding situation could influence how quickly agricultural initiatives, including poultry development, move from policy announcements to physical projects and financial support.
A stronger poultry industry could generate benefits across several parts of the South-East economy if the necessary infrastructure and financing are put in place.
Potential gains include:
- More employment in farming and processing
- Greater demand for locally produced grains
- Expansion of feed manufacturing
- Growth of hatchery and veterinary businesses
- Increased opportunities for young entrepreneurs
- Improved regional food supply
- Greater value addition within the South-East
However, the scale of these benefits will depend on implementation.
The announcement from SEDC represents a policy direction rather than evidence that the region has already achieved the proposed transformation. The commission will need to establish clear funding mechanisms, measurable production targets, farmer-support programmes and timelines for implementation.
The Eastern International Poultry Summit is expected to contribute to the development of a framework for strengthening poultry production in the South-East and, more broadly, Nigeria’s poultry sector.
For SEDC, the challenge will be converting the proposed investment in poultry into a functioning regional value chain capable of competing on cost, quality and scale.
If the commission and state governments can address feed production, hatcheries, disease control, infrastructure, finance and market access together, poultry could become more than an agricultural programme—it could serve as a significant component of the South-East’s wider industrial and economic development strategy.
