In commemoration of the 2025 World Egg Day, the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State chapter, has encouraged the consumption of eggs as it commences direct sales to consumers at local government areas.

The PAN Lagos chairman, Mojeed Iyiola, disclosed this to journalists on the sidelines of the association’s road walk on Friday in Lagos.

Mr Iyiola reiterated the importance of egg consumption and the association’s efforts to reduce the cost for consumers through its direct sales.

“In commemoration of World Egg Day being celebrated today and every second Friday of October across the world, we are showcasing the importance of eggs and what it does to our bodies.

“We gave out some free eggs at Ojo General Hospital and public secondary schools in the area to encourage egg consumption for all.

“You see egg is not only a meal, it is like a medicine. If you consume eggs as required, you will hardly go to the hospital. That is why we went to the hospital and the schools to increase awareness of egg consumption,” he said.

Mr Iyiola, however, noted that the association had begun the direct sales of eggs to consumers in the different LGAs to cut down the exploitation of middlemen.

“The price of eggs is relatively high but stable; however, you cannot say that the government’s intervention in the poultry sector is not being reflected in the prices of eggs.

“Now, the price of eggs is moderate given the current economic realities. From the farm gate, we sell between N5,000 and N5,200, that is the maximum.

“However, the distributors are selling a crate between N6,000 and N6,500; we have been engaging them that a crate should not sell more than N5,600 or N5,700 because of transportation.

“Due to the problems we have encountered with the egg distributors, we have decided to start selling our eggs directly to the consumers at designated LGAs in the state.

“We commenced the direct sales to consumers at Alimosho LGA and the Idimu-Egbe Local Development Council Area of the state, at N5,400 to N5,600 per crate every weekend.

“We will gradually extend the direct sales of eggs to consumers across all the local government areas in the states as soon as possible so as to ensure the stable price of eggs,” Mr Iyiola said.

On his part, Foluso Adams, the deputy chairman, PAN Lagos, and the president of Aiyediti Farms Ojo, called for government intervention on price regulation in the sector, for the small-scale farmers to thrive.

“Right now, we thank the government for even blocking the borders and stopping the exportation of maize. However, the price of Day-old Chicks (DOC) is not encouraging.

“The big poultry industries are trying to clamp down on the small industries, the indigenous ones. They are not making them grow.

“So, we need the government to interfere in this. They have to be free and fair play in the sector . The multinationals are trying to muscle out the small ones, the indigenous ones, which is not too good.

“ I think this is a free-play game for all control. There has to be price control.

‘The price of eggs from the farm gate still remains at N5,000 or N5,200 from the farm gate, but the issue is that there is low purchasing power on the part of the consumers and this cannot be blamed on poultry farmers,” Mr Adams said.

(NAN)