UNILORIN's First Female Professor Achieves Breakthrough in Enhancing Local Fulani Chicken Breed
Professor Eunice Folake Ojo, the first female professor in the University of Ilorin's Animal Production Department, has made a breakthrough in enhancing local Fulani Ecotype chickens by crossbreeding them with Dominant Black strains.
Chris Oyeoku Okafor 
University of Ilorin's Animal Production Department has achieved a notable advancement in poultry research, led by Professor Eunice Folake Ojo, the department’s first female professor. During the 268th Inaugural Lecture at the university’s main auditorium, Professor Ojo unveiled her groundbreaking work on improving local poultry varieties, with a focus on enhancing egg production and improving bird plumage.
Professor Ojo’s research is centered on upgrading Fulani Ecotype chickens by crossbreeding them with exotic Dominant Black strains. This innovative approach has resulted in the creation of auto-sex chicks, which not only exhibit attractive plumage but also outperform their local counterparts in egg production. Her research utilized FE male lines (FEXDB), and reciprocal crossings with Hubbard broiler strains yielded offspring with significantly greater body weight, marking a substantial improvement over traditional local lines.
"As animal breeders, there’s a critical need to prioritize the preservation of local chicken germplasm," Professor Ojo emphasized. "These indigenous breeds have unique attributes—such as rare plumage and comb types—which are not only culturally valuable but also hold medicinal and nutritional importance."
Professor Ojo expressed concerns about the declining genetic diversity within Nigeria’s poultry industry, noting that local breeds are increasingly endangered. She called for a comprehensive genetic database to assist in the conservation and improvement of these indigenous resources, stressing the significance of safeguarding Nigeria's poultry genetic resources for future generations.
Her research has provided valuable data for breeders and geneticists, supporting the conservation and development of new poultry lines that could help boost animal protein production to meet the growing needs of Nigeria’s population.
Professor Ojo's contributions represent a significant step forward for poultry science in Nigeria, providing a framework for both conservation and agricultural advancement in the region.
