Bird flu attack: FG yet to compensate over 800 farmers with N1.8bn

Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has said the Federal Government is unable to pay compensation of nearly N2 billion to hundreds of poultry farmers affected by bird flu attack because the budget has not been signed into law.


Speaking on the menace of pests on farms at a meeting with the 36 state commissioners for agriculture and representative of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ogbeh described the situation as a national catastrophe, saying apart from the bird flu attack pests have destroyed maize, cocoa, rice and cotton, among other crops on farms across the country.

He disclosed that the government needs a total sum of N1, 813, 893, 320 to compensate owners of over 800 poultry farms affected by the bird flu attack, adding that 81 poultry farmers had yet to submit their claims.

He said efforts are underway to persuade the Budget Office and Federal Ministry of Finance to help provide the needed funds to pay poultry farmers’ compensation over bird flu attack as the 2017 budget ‎has yet to be passed into law.

In his presentation and update on the situation of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the country, the Director, Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, Gideon Mshelbwala, said the disease ravaged farms in six states and the FCT this time around. He said the outstanding payment has been forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Finance for payment saying verification of claims by farmers will commence soon.


Ogbeh said if farmers lose their farmlands and be discouraged food supply and security will be threatened and the country will be in trouble for it, and that makes it important to plead with them while government source for fund to address their challenges.

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