Year: 2026
Grant: £3,500
Olaoluwa John Ademola
University of Ilorin, Nigeria
Rodent infestations in poultry farms lead to economic losses and disease risks, and many farmers in Kwara State respond by using unregulated and often toxic rodenticides. These poisons cause prolonged suffering in rodents and unintended poisoning of poultry, domestic animals, wildlife, and farm workers.
This project aims to train 70 small and medium poultry farmers across three major poultry production clusters in Kwara State in Ecological-Based Rodent Management (EBRM), a humane, science-based alternative that emphasizes prevention, structural exclusion, habitat modification, sanitation, and the use of rapid-kill traps instead of slow-acting poisons. Training workshops and farmer-tailored EBRM manuals will be provided.
This intervention is expected to significantly reduce reliance on harmful rodenticides and contribute to improved welfare of poultry and non-target wildlife, and safer farming environments for workers and livestock.