NAPRI Targets 25,000 Chicks in 2025/2026 Hatching Drive

NAPRI Targets 25,000 Chicks in 2025/2026 Hatching Drive

By Musa Garba, Kaduna

The National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has launched its 2025/2026 annual chick production programme, setting its sights on producing about 25,000 chicks to strengthen poultry breeding and support Nigeria’s livestock sector.

This was disclosed in a statement issued in Zaria by the university’s Director of Public Affairs, Malam Auwalu Umar, who said the exercise officially commenced on March 31 and has already yielded over 3,000 chicks in its opening phase.

He explained that the newly hatched birds consist of Shikabrown grandparent stock and broiler foundation stock, which will largely serve as replacement birds for the institute’s breeding population.

According to him, the institute’s new production goal represents a significant jump from the 17,000 chicks recorded in the last hatching cycle, underscoring NAPRI’s effort to scale up output and respond to increasing demand in the poultry industry.

Umar further stated that the programme is aimed at strengthening hatchery operations nationwide through the provision of improved parent stock layers as well as Shikabrown pullet commercial layers, which are expected to benefit both commercial poultry operators and small-scale farmers.

During an inspection visit to the poultry brooding unit in Shika, Zaria, the Acting Executive Director of NAPRI, Prof. Muhammad-Rabiu Hassan, expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far, describing the exercise as smooth and encouraging.

He said the institute remained on course to achieve its target and praised the support received from the Minister of Livestock Development, Mukhtar Maiha, and the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, for their roles in advancing the programme.

The annual hatching exercise is regarded as one of NAPRI’s key contributions to poultry improvement in Nigeria, especially in the development and supply of quality breeding stock to farmers and hatcheries across the country.