By Akinnodi Francis, Ondo

An agribusiness expert, Sanya Ogunsakin, has advocated cooperative-driven investments as a key strategy to sustain the growth of Nigeria’s poultry industry.

Ogunsakin described the poultry sector as being at a defining moment, stressing the urgent need for structural reforms to secure its future and ensure long-term sustainability.

He urged poultry farmers, cooperative leaders, financial institutions and policymakers to rethink the current framework of the industry.

The expert emphasised the importance of transitioning from fragmented, individually-led operations to well-organised, cooperative-based enterprises capable of attracting sustainable financing and guaranteeing long-term viability.

According to him, “Our poultry sector cannot thrive on individual effort alone. We need to organise ourselves into cooperative clusters, build strong governance systems and position ourselves to attract the level of investment needed to sustain this industry beyond this generation.”

He lamented that the poultry industry, which contributes significantly to Nigeria’s agricultural GDP, continues to grapple with numerous challenges, including rising feed costs, unstable market prices, lack of affordable financing and weak business continuity structures, among others.

Ogunsakin stated that these systemic challenges can only be addressed through deliberate cooperative synergy, where smallholder poultry farmers pool resources, share risks and rewards, and benefit from economies of scale.

“The time to act is now. Our industry’s sustainability will depend on how quickly we can organise, invest and build a poultry ecosystem anchored on collective strength and strategic partnerships.

“We must not leave the future of poultry farming to chance. Succession planning and strategic investment partnerships are essential if today’s poultry businesses are to evolve into tomorrow’s sustainable enterprises,” he added.