The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has approved MoorBeta, a new indigenous meat-type chicken, for commercial release in Nigeria. The breed was officially registered on 26 March by the National Crop Varieties and Livestock Breeds Registration and Release Committee during a meeting at the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology in Ibadan, Oyo State. Developed by the Poultry Research Team at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, MoorBeta is the result of over 10 years of selective breeding combining indigenous and exotic meat-type chickens. It reaches an average live weight of 2.8kg in 10 weeks, with survival rates above 95 percent and improved feed efficiency. The ministry described the bird as heat-tolerant, suitable for smallholder farmers, and ideal for Nigeria's tropical climate. It has a predominantly white body with speckles, a large single comb, and meat that is tender, juicy, and with minimal cooking loss. A 2025 cost analysis estimates a net profit of over N278,000 from raising 100 birds in a 10-week cycle. The ministry said it collaborated with the research institute and was represented on the approval committee. The move is part of broader efforts to boost local poultry production and food security. However, the approval coincides with ongoing concerns about transgenic products in Nigeria, following the National Biosafety Management Agency's recent suspension of four unauthorised transgenic cotton varieties registered on the same date.
MoorBeta's approval on the same day four unauthorised transgenic cotton varieties were flagged reveals a split in Nigeria's agricultural oversight—one side advancing homegrown innovation, the other failing to enforce biosafety rules. The ministry's collaboration with IAR&T on a locally adapted chicken breed shows what focused research and coordination can achieve for smallholder farmers. Yet the parallel lapse in biosafety compliance raises doubts about whether regulatory systems can handle both innovation and accountability. For Nigerian farmers, the real gain lies not just in a new chicken, but in whether institutions can consistently back science without cutting corners.
