Opinion
Helping Local Poultry Curb Protein Deficiency (II)
Protein is the second most
abundant compound found in the human body. Just as water is needed by the body to function optimally, protein is found in every cell and tissue, and along with healthy fats, it plays many critical roles in keeping the body alive and healthy.
From the contraction of the muscles of the body which allows for body movement, to the contraction of specialized muscle that controls organ functions such as the heart, digestive movements, and elimination of unwanted elements in the body, the place of protein in the human body has become highly indispensable.
Even where the bones could be said to be predominantly calcium, the mineral is bounded together with protein, while also constituting the framework that holds nerves together. From the blood, through the body organs and up to the skin, all have structural proteins.
Suffice it to say that the protein’s presence in the body, provides the building blocs needed for all tissue repair, critical enzymes and hormones needed for all of metabolic functions and antibodies that help defend body against infection. Proteins are vital to all living processes and undertake a wide range of functions quite essential to sustain life.
The human body needs 20 different amino acids to be able to produce all the proteins it requires. While the body can comfortably provide 10 out of the 20, it depends on external food intake to be able to obtain the remaining 10 amino acids. This explains why the need to consume more of proteinous diets has become imperative.
It must be noted that although, plant foods such as grains, nuts, beans and vegetables can supply the body with proteins, it is, but a limited array of amino acids except by a combination of foods. But, animal products such as chicken, fish, beef, venison, duck, turkey, pork contain virtually all the essential amino acids needed to keep the body fit and healthy.
Obviously, animal products have been discovered to be the best bet for adequate protein intake and free range organic poultry, duck, turkey, eggs from healthy chickens are usually handy for this purpose.
If therefore, the poultry business can be a handy bridge between the need of a people and the availability of a solution to such a need, the onus then lies on the industry, to acquire a new mindset that will favour increase and improvement of productivity toward meeting consumers’ expectation.
According to Philip Wilkinson, in his presentation titled: “What if there was A Better Way? Meeting Consumer Needs Through Sustainable Intensification,” at Alltech’s Annual breakfast meeting, during the International Production And Processing Expo (IPPE) in January, “each poultry corporation needs to have a quality assurance mark that people recognise, possess core value and endure.”
Wilkinson sees the poultry farmer in a position to answer the consumers’ bugging question of “What Should We Eat?” Already in a generally favourable environment, all that the poultry producer requires is flexibility and market orientation and the key drivers will be delivering a tasty, safe and attractive product grown in a manner consistent with consumer expectations.
“I’m optimistic about the poultry sector’s future,” Wilkinson said. “Poultry, undoubtedly in my views, is going to be the leading meat protein to help feed an additional three billion people by 2050.”
Barbados’ annual consumption of poultry meat has been estimated at around 15million kilogrammes. Local production of poultry meat in 2010 was estimated at 14.1million kilogrammes which demonstrates the local farmers potential to supply the demand.
The President of the Barbados Egg And Poultry Producers Association (BEPPA) Wendell Clarke, was quoted in 2009 as saying that, “local poultry producers are more than ready and willing to satisfy all the needs of the local market.
“We can definitely satisfy all the needs of the local market,” he said. We have the capacity to do it. We have actually done it before, we can supply what the local market needs.”
Back here in Nigeria, it is quite possible. Like Wilkinson said, a change of mindset and the will to succeed is all that is needed so that the young farmer does not get stuck on the way and decides to put a halt to the hitherto ambition to be established. More so, every game is played by rule, without which, success will only be sighted from afar and never to be approached.
Obviously, the level of acquaintance any potential business man should have with his business of choice msut go beyond the mere “spelling” and “pronouncement” of such business names as is the case with many, this of course, is not a condemnation of partnership in business where supposed experts are co-opted to build a business.
To many potential retirees, it is “poultry farming after retirement,” which is no less a noble idea, but the need to guide one’s lions against the storms becomes imperative especially when huge life savings are involved.
Poultry structures are constructed in specific directions that only the experts can tell, a mistake in the erection of structures, becomes a foundational error which consequence stands to hunt the initiative so long as it lasts, perhaps, you call it first step to failure.
Anyone treading in an unfamiliar terrain, exercises great caution, little wonder in the academic world, every caring process begins with simple “ABC,” from the simple to the complex, but those who count the number of eggs and meat in established farmers’ baskets and tables without due consideration to what transpired from when there were no eggs and meat to the period of supposedly bountiful harvest of eggs and meat are rather beclouded by their judgments of the content of the baskets and tables, what gross beneficiaries! – Perhaps, this could be seen as a second step to failure since every business calculation must first deduct the cost from the gross for an eventual net which translates to the real gain.
It is important that every business be started in a small manageable scale, to gradually grow to any desired magnitude bearing in mind that such business is not only intended to service the selfish ends of the initiator, but to also be optimally applied to maximize its contribution to the socio-economic advancement of its immediate environment as well as the nation at large.
The local farmer must cease to see himself as a master of all, the administration of poultry drugs are strictly the exclusives of the veterinary staff and results are got when the right personnel are used, attempts by sharp farmers who tend to do what they say the vet personnel do for certain health cases, had not yielded any positive results because some of these birds develop high resistance to certain drugs after being used over time and it is only the approved personnel that would know when this is the case and what alternative therapy to apply.
The local poultry industry definitely has the potentials to meet the masses’ protein need if the games are played by the rules.
Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi
The political atmosphere in Rivers State has been anything but calm in 2025. Yet, a rare moment of unity was witnessed on Saturday, June 28, when Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, appeared side by side at the funeral of Elder Temple Omezurike Onuoha, Wike’s late uncle. What could have passed for a routine condolence visit evolved into a significant political statement—a symbolic show of reconciliation in a state bruised by deep political strife.
The funeral, attended by dignitaries from across the nation, was more than a moment of shared grief. It became the public reflection of a private peace accord reached earlier at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. There, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu brought together Governor Fubara, Minister Wike, the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and other lawmakers to chart a new path forward.
For Rivers people, that truce is a beacon of hope. But they are not content with photo opportunities and promises. What they demand now is the immediate lifting of the state of emergency declared in March 2025, and the unconditional reinstatement of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Dr. Ngozi Odu, and all suspended lawmakers. They insist on the restoration of their democratic mandate.
President Tinubu’s decision to suspend the entire structure of Rivers State’s elected leadership and appoint a sole administrator was a drastic response to a deepening political crisis. While it may have prevented a complete breakdown in governance, it also robbed the people of their voice. That silence must now end.
The administrator, retired naval chief Ibok-Ette Ibas, has managed a caretaker role. But Rivers State cannot thrive under unelected stewardship. Democracy must return—not partially, not symbolically, but fully. President Tinubu has to ensure that the people’s will, expressed through the ballot, is restored in word and deed.
Governor Fubara, who will complete his six-month suspension by September, was elected to serve the people of Rivers, not to be sidelined by political intrigues. His return should not be ceremonial. It should come with the full powers and authority vested in him by the constitution and the mandate of Rivers citizens.
The people’s frustration is understandable. At the heart of the political crisis was a power tussle between loyalists of Fubara and those of Wike. Institutions, particularly the State House of Assembly, became battlegrounds. Attempts were made to impeach Fubara. The situation deteriorated into a full-blown crisis, and governance was nearly brought to its knees.
But the tide must now turn. With the Senate’s approval of a record ?1.485 trillion budget for Rivers State for 2025, a new opportunity has emerged. This budget is not just a fiscal document—it is a blueprint for transformation, allocating ?1.077 trillion for capital projects alone. Yet, without the governor’s reinstatement, its execution remains in doubt.
It is Governor Fubara, and only him, who possesses the people’s mandate to execute this ambitious budget. It is time for him to return to duty with vigor, responsibility, and a renewed sense of urgency. The people expect delivery—on roads, hospitals, schools, and job creation.
Rivers civil servants, recovering from neglect and under appreciation, should also continue to be a top priority. Fubara should continue to ensure timely payment of salaries, address pension issues, and create a more effective, motivated public workforce. This is how governance becomes real in people’s lives.
The “Rivers First” mantra with which Fubara campaigned is now being tested. That slogan should become policy. It must inform every appointment, every contract, every budget decision, and every reform. It must reflect the needs and aspirations of the ordinary Rivers person—not political patrons or vested interests.
Beyond infrastructure and administration, political healing is essential. Governor Fubara and Minister Wike must go beyond temporary peace. They should actively unite their camps and followers to form one strong political family. The future of Rivers cannot be built on division.
Political appointments, both at the Federal and State levels, must reflect a spirit of fairness, tolerance, and inclusivity. The days of political vendettas and exclusive lists must end. Every ethnic group, every gender, and every generation must feel included in the new Rivers project.
Rivers is too diverse to be governed by one faction. Lasting peace can only be built on concessions, maturity, and equity. The people are watching to see if the peace deal will lead to deeper understanding or simply paper over cracks in an already fragile political arrangement.
Wike, now a national figure as Minister of the FCT, has a responsibility to rise above the local fray and support the development of Rivers State. His influence should bring federal attention and investment to the state, not political interference or division.
Likewise, Fubara should lead with restraint, humility, and a focus on service delivery. His return should not be marked by revenge or political purges but by inclusive leadership that welcomes even former adversaries into the process of rebuilding the state.
“The people are no longer interested in power struggles. They want light in their streets, drugs in their hospitals, teachers in their classrooms, and jobs for their children. The politics of ego and entitlement have to give way to governance with purpose.
The appearance of both leaders at the funeral was a glimpse of what unity could look like. That moment should now evolve into a movement-one that prioritizes Rivers State over every personal ambition. Let it be the beginning of true reconciliation and progress.
As September draws near, the Federal government should act decisively to end the state of emergency and reinstate all suspended officials. Rivers State must return to constitutional order and normal democratic processes. This is the minimum requirement of good governance.
The crisis in Rivers has dragged on for too long. The truce is a step forward, but much more is needed. Reinstating Governor Fubara, implementing the ?1.485 trillion budget, and uniting political factions are now the urgent tasks ahead. Rivers people have suffered enough. It is time to restore leadership, rebuild trust, and finally put Rivers first.
By: Amieyeofori Ibim
Amieyeofori Ibim is former Editor of The Tide Newspapers, political analyst and public affairs commentator
Do the Fulani herdsmen have an expansionists agenda, like their progenitor, Uthman Dan Fodio? Why are they everywhere even the remotest part of other areas in Nigeria harassing, maiming, raping and killing the owners of the land?”
In a swift reaction, The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) decried and strongly condemned the invasion by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
In his denunciation, MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke described the incident as very unfortunate and deeply troubling, warning against a recurrence of the violence experienced in Benue State. “The killing of yesterday is bad and very unfortunate. We are getting preliminary information about how the herders gained access to the farmland, and it appears some hoodlums may be collecting money and granting access illegally.”
He called on the Hausa community in Rivers State to intervene swiftly to prevent further attacks.
“We want the Hausa community in Rivers State to take urgent action to ensure these issues are resolved”.
But will such appeal and requests end the violent disposition of the Fulani herdsmen? It is not saying something new that the escalating threat and breach of peace across the country by the Fulani herdsmen or those suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, leaves much to be desired in a country that is bedevilled by multi-dimensional challenges and hydra-headed problems.
Some upland Local Government Areas of Rivers State, such as Etche, Omuma, Emohua, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Abua, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, have severally recounted their ordeals, as herdsmen invaded farmlands, destroyed crops, raped female farmers and killed protestant residents.
Again the wanton destruction of lives and properties which no doubt has overwhelmed the Nigerian Police, makes the clamour for State Police, indispensable. The National Assembly should consider the amendment of the Constitution to allow States to have their Statutory policing agencies.
As insurgency has risen to an all time high in the country were killings has now grown to be a normal daily activity in some part of the nation it may not be safe to say that Nigeria still practices democracy.
Several massacres coming from the Boko Haram and the herdsmen amongst all other insurgencies which have led to the destruction of homes and killing, burning of communities especially in the northern part of the country. All these put together are result of the ethnic battles that are fought between the tribes of Nigeria and this can be witnessed in Benue State where herders and farmers have been in constant clashes for ages. They have experienced nothing but casualties and unrest.
In the month of June 13-14, the Yelwata attack at the Guma Local Government Area by suspected gunmen or herdsmen who stormed the houses of innocent IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) claiming the lives of families, both adults and children estimated to be 200 victims. They were all burnt alive by these unknown gunmen.
This has been recorded as one of the deadliest insurgencies that had happened in recent years. Some security personnel that were trying to fight the unknown gunmen also lost their lives.
Prior to the Yelewata attack, two days before the happening, similar conflict took place in Makurdi on June 11, 2025. 25 people were killed in the State. Even in Plateau State and the Southern Kaduna an attack also took place in the month of June.
All other states that make up the Middle Belt have been experiencing the farmers/herders clash for years now and it has persisted up till recent times, claiming lives of families and children, homes and lands, escalating in 2025 with coordinated assaults.
Various authorities and other villagers who fled for safety also blamed the herdsmen in the State for the attack that happened in Yelwata community.
Ehebha God’stime is an Intern with The Tide.
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