All Africa reports that farmers and experts in poultry business said they are sponsoring a bill to ensure that egg is being included in the menu of all institutions of learning across the country.

The national president of the Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria (PAN) Kabir Ibrahim, said the bill is necessary because good nutrition is key to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

He was speaking at a one-day workshop on 'The role of poultry eggs in achieving the Millennium Development Goals', which took place in Abuja at the weekend.

Mr Ibrahim said poultry production is a fundamental part of agriculture, that is why workshop becomes necessary to teach the Nigerian public about the health implication of consuming egg as part of human nutrition.

"Poultry production as a fundamental part of agriculture provides a major source of high quality protein which represents about 36.5 per cent of the total protein intake of Nigerians and is among the products of poultry production that helps achieve the MDGs by providing meat and egg," he said.

He said the bill would boost the health standard of Nigerians and create opportunities in the poultry market for farmers because the poultry market in Nigeria is yet to be explored, reports All Africa.

Also speaking, the immediate past Executive Director of the United States Egg Nutrition Center, Dr Donald McNamara, advised that egg be consumed by everybody on a daily basis for a healthy and balanced living. He said contrary to various misconceptions that have spread over the years that egg consumption builds-up cholesterol and is therefore unhealthy for adults, eggs provide the highest form of protein and have negligible quantity of cholesterol.

He said the cholesterol level in egg is not in any way unhealthy because it is very little and egg has been proven to be a very important source of protein.