The price of eggs in Nigeria has surged to a record high of ₦8,500 per crate, a development the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) directly links to a critical shortage of day-old chicks (DOCs) crippling the sector.
According to Mojeed Iyiola, PAN chairman for Lagos, the scarcity is driven by a fundamental supply chain breakdown. He stated that poultry farmers nationwide are unable to source DOCs, as all commercial hatcheries are fully booked with orders. This lack of replacementstock follows the recent sale-off of older, less productive laying hens.
“The major reason for the looming scarcity of eggs is that most old layers have been sold off, and poultry farmers currently have no access to DOCs,” Iyiola explained in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). He added that even when chicks are sporadically available, their prices increase weekly, further squeezing producers.
Prior to the current crisis, a crate of eggs sold for between ₦5,500 and ₦6,500. Market reports now confirm prices have skyrocketed to the ₦6,500 to ₦8,500 range across most regions. This inflation has pushed the cost of a staple protein above that of meat; a kilogram of chicken or beef now sells for approximately ₦6,000 to ₦7,000 in markets such as Abuja.
The situation underscores a systemic vulnerability in Nigeria’s poultry value chain. The DOC shortage points to constraints in parent stock flocks, hatchery capacity, or input costs like feed, which ultimately translates to reduced egg production and higher consumer prices. With the backlog for chicks indicating no immediate relief, the elevated cost and limited availability of eggs are expected to persist, impacting household nutrition and food security for the foreseeable future. No short-term policy interventions were outlined by the association, highlighting the challenge’s depth.
