The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has assured of its readiness to partner Lagos State government in move to improve the transporting system of meat distribution across the country.
Speaking during the study tour and stakeholders’ engagement to understudy the air-cool meat vans from the abattoirs and slaughterhouses to the various meat markets in Lagos State, the chief veterinary officer of Nigeria and director, Federal Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, Dr. Maimuna Abdullahi Habib, said that the objectives of the tour is to understudy the state air-cool meat vans, the abattoirs and the slaughterhouses.
Dr Habib said that the ministry will facilitate the process to ensure that a policy is drafted to ensure smooth operations, enforcement and implementation of the process across the nation, noting that the it has procured 37 vehicles that will be distributed to butchers for free in order to facilitate the process across the country.
According to a statement issued by the ministry’s information officer I, Mohammed Abdullahi Gana, she further stated that the ministry will also strengthen its collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to mark every structure and every movement of meat from abattoir to the market across the country.
In her remarks, the commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture Ruth Abisola Olusanya said that “prior to the launching of Eko Meat van Project in Year 2004, meat haulage business in Lagos State was rather disorganised, haphazard and unregulated, adding that wooden carts were used to transport meat and carcasses from abattoirs and slaughter facilities to the deboning and bulk-breaking sections.”
She informed that four private investors and Butchers Association Group formed the executing stakeholders to run the fleet of air-cool meat vans from the abattoirs and slaughterhouses to the various meat markets statewide, noting that the project was funded by Skye Bank in agreement with the stakeholders.
In his welcome address, the state director of veterinary services, Dr. Macaulay Rasheed Molade, said, “The refrigerated meat transportation project runs from 2009 till date and it is involved in the daily haulage of meat carcasses,cattle officials, head and feet as well as other cow parts from the abattoirs/slaughter facilities to the various meat markets.”
Earlier, in his goodwill message, the chairman Lagos State Butchers Association, Mr. Alabi Bamidele Kazeem, said “the butchers have been supportive to the state government and will continue give its maximum cooperation.”
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