The objective of this background paper is to identify key issues associated with livelihood impact of HPAI at national, community and household levels. It attempts to make available information on the risk factors for entry and spread of the disease, institutional responses and constraints to controlling the disease; while providing an overview of the structure and economics of the poultry sub-sector in Nigeria. The study also presents an overview of HPAI status in the country with an attempt to identify categories of stakeholders affected and how and why they were affected. This enables the identification of the level of vulnerability of each category for further study. Overall, the background paper serves as an introduction to the country-level (Nigeria) collaborative research project on pro-poor HPAI risk-reduction strategies by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and other international research institutions. Some research gaps are identified in the country guide to this collaborative study.