150 Kogi poultry farmers to benefit N4.2m each from NEGPRO

More than 150 poultry farmers in Kogi State are to benefit from the National Egg Production (NEGPRO) scheme of the Federal Government. The scheme has set aside N4.2 million as loans to each of the beneficiaries for the massive production of eggs.


Chief Tunde Badmus, Scheme Manager, and national anchor of the programme who disclosed this recently at a Town Hall Interactive Meeting with poultry farmers in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, said the NEGPRO scheme would soon commence operations in six pilot states, adding that 150 farmers have so far been registered for the scheme in Kogi State, one of the pilot locations for the scheme.

Badmus said the main purpose of the scheme is to create employment for unemployed young Nigerians who are entrepreneurial and willing to work hard while also creating employment opportunities for their peers.

He said, “Intending beneficiary must have a farm that can take about 2,000 pullets, motorable and accessible, have little knowledge about poultry farming and also be a member of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN).

“About 150 poultry farmers in Kogi have registered since three months ago to partake in this programme which has been approved by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, CBN and BoA.

“Today, we are having personal interactions with intending beneficiaries before the technical committee will proceed to their farms for assessment. Each farmer will access N4.2 million worth of cash and farm input as loan with 9 per cent interest rate at a gestational period of 30 months.”

Mr Oluwafemi Bolaji, the state anchor person, said the scheme was established by the federal government to create jobs, eradicate hunger, alleviate poverty, and improve the well being of the people.

According to him, agriculture creates productive employment opportunities for 45 per cent of the country’s labour force and 60 per cent of rural population depends on this sector for their livelihood.

He added that the scheme would create one million jobs, produce about 50 million eggs daily by 2018, and have sufficient for production of egg powder and school feeding programme.


“This scheme will help to advance the capacity to feed Nigerians and also increase economic activities in rural areas.”

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