There are hopes that the N120 million Semi-Mechanised Modern Abattoir in Ashanti Barracks in Apapa, Lagos, will revive a business line crippled by years of mismanagement. The facility, bankrolled by private investors with the backing of the Supply and Transport Unit of the Nigerian Army will help in processing over 60 million cows consumed nationwide annually. COLLINS NWEZE writes that the project will not only aid the government’s diversification policy, but save millions of dollars in foreign exchange used by airlines, hoteliers among others, in importing meat for their operations.
The global meat market is worth $6 billion, and Nigeria has little or no stake in it. But that will soon change with new investments coming from the private sector to bring the business back to life.
The investment of N120 million in Semi-Mechanised Modern Abattoir by the Ashanti Modern Abattoir Operators, Apapa Lagos, seems a great start in a long journey. The abattoir, which has been commissioned, and ready for takeoff,
The semi-mechanised modern abattoir is situated at Ashanti Barracks, in Apapa, Lagos. The abattoir is operated under the chairmanship of Alhaji Abudulahi Kotangora, who expressed his satisfaction for the facilities built at the abattoir. “It is a masterpiece and our own contribution to wealth and wellbeing of Lagosians,” he said.
General Manager, Semi-Mechanised Ashanti Modern Abattoir Operators, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe explained how the business will run: “The facility received between 200 and 300 cows for processing daily. Once a cow passes any of the two points of no return after the vetenary doctor has screened the cows. Such cow will be butchered and processed immediately. There is running water all over the facility and the floor is tilled, with drainage facility also available to achieve clean processing of the meat”.
He disclosed that the slaughtering facility can kill up to 500 cows at a time, and that the cows pass through a separate gate, different from one passed by humans. “With separate gates for humans and the cows, the meat does have contact with the people for the sake of hygiene, food safety and clean product and eliminate contamination,” he said.
Explaining further, he said the meat is taking out of the facility with galvanized wheelbarrows to the loading beam and finally to the Eko Meat Vans to be taken to different parts of the state. “We expect a bigger meat market in the future, as we are already discussing with the military authority to achieve that objective,” he said.
He said the facility is expected to meet the meat demands in Apapa, Ijora, Tego, Boundary, Ijora Olopa, Iganmu, Lagos Island, Dockyard, Idi-Alaba, among other Lagos markets. “The Eko Meat Vans will supply meat from the facility to these markets. This project remains a partnership between the Nigerian Army and private investors with N120 million invested. The Supply and Transport Unit of the Army provided the land and will get monthly rent payment, while the investors provided the funding,” he said.
Gwadabe, said that abattoir business runs in his family line and he will be bringing his several years of experience to make positive impact in the business.
Gwadabe explained that his motivation for the job came because of his desire to improve the industry status. “What drives me really, is that overtime, I have seen the slaughtering facilities in Nigeria, the health of the butchers, who happened to be my own people have always been neglected by the successive government. So, when you enter to those abattoir areas, it is very dirty, the butchers are always getting sick, no facility at all. I believe this is the time for me, given the opportunity provided by the military, to partner with my brothers to have this facility,” he said.
He explained that instead of having the traditional concept of abattoir, there was need to do something better and suits the needs of the people. “Given our exposure and standards, there is need for something like this to scale up big production, to diversify the economy into agricultural activities. This is still part of agriculture, to scale up food safety, because even the health of the meat being produced in the old abattoirs is not up to standard. The health of the people working there, given the state of the environment, is also threatened,” he said.
“First and foremost, I am from the family of herdsmen and butchers in Katongora, Niger State. Presently, my senior brother is the Seriki Fulani Butchers, in Kontagora, Niger State. So, I have been involved since when I was a kid, and up till the time I finished university, pending when I started working. I read Economics at Bayero University, Kano. I was a former banker with 15 years of experience in the industry and resigned as Foreign Exchange Manager for my former bank,” he said.
Gwadabe said the dirty state of the nearby abattoir facility in the Ashanti Barracks prompted him to do something different, in the interest of Lagosians. “The whole environment where the meat is produced in the old abattoir is sickening. The environment is dirty, you can see motor tyres are being used for boiling water used for processing the meat. The meat is thereafter cut in a very dirty table. The environment where the meat is prepared is not hygienic and we needed to give the people a better choice and create opportunity for them to get value for their money,” he stated.
A visit to the old abattoir within the Ashanti Barracks was an eye sore and confirmed Gwadabe’s fears. From the shanty structures housing the butchers to dirty tables, and plastics scattered all over the place, it was indeed degrading for both the butchers and customers.
There was also a thick black smoke enveloping the entire neighbourhood, with mud mixed with animal blood. The animal blood and the entire waste generated in the environment are not being properly disposed because of the absence of drainage facility.
Speaking further, he said that there is over $6 billion turnover beef market in the world, and Nigeria is not even on the list which countries like Angola, Mozambique, were included.
“The biggest producer of beef in the world is America, followed by Brazil and Russia, put together they produce about 50 per cent of the world’s meat production. Up till now, Nigeria still imports meat. Go to supermarket, shopping malls, you will see imported meats. There is need no need to import with facility like this. Instead of hotels and airlines importing their meats, we believe this facility will serve the standard they are looking for,” he said.
One of the facilitators of the project, Gen. Sule Said, the scheme came as a result of the people demanding for better abattoir services and cleaner meat production to promote better health.
“The project is timely, and is in direct response to the need and requests of the people. It will help to make people realize their choice,” he said.
Resident at the Ashanti Barracks, Aminu Abubakar, said the project was the first time the people are seeing an abattoir, that is neat and well situated. “It is a nice project by all standards and should be supported by the government and the people for it to succeed,” he said.
An investor in the project, Gadamosi Muritala, wants government to re-engineer a system that supports building of modern abattoirs in Army Barracks. He said the Nigerian Army has seen the business vision, and believes that the project should be replicated across different barracks in the country.
Project engineer, Abdul Rasheed, said there are hosting machines, cradles and that cylinders will be used instead of tyres. “There are running water taps all over the site. There is also a drainage that channels the animal blood to the cannel. And hat fulfills a major requirement by government in building modern abattoirs,” he said. He expressed happiness that more jobs will be created through the project.
Gwadabe said the project will create jobs, generate foreign exchange for the country and also save millions used in importing meat from abroad.
“At full operation, we will be looking at about 3,000 workers all over the slaughtering facility, which will include van drivers, , loading beams, processing labourers, the toilet attendants among others. The Lagos State Government has woken up to its responsibility. The state has the largest population in terms of food safety. They have come out with criteria on how slaughtering houses should be constructed, and how they should be modernised. The edifice you have seen is the proto-design of the Ministry of Agriculture, Lagos State Government,” he said.
Continuing, he said: “Before you can build any abattoir in Lagos State, one must be able to obtain the proto-design from the state government and that is the design we have exactly put here. We have gotten a very good support, as of now, our approval is even before the Executive Governor of Lagos State, for them to approve, although we have gotten the necessary papers for our operations. The relationship with the Lagos State government is also very fantastic, and we have also invested in meat safety and things like this, is what they will continue to support”.
