Lagos commences rehabilitation of Oko-Oba Abattoir

The Lagos State Government has commenced the rehabilitation of the Oko-Oba Abattoir and Lairage Complex, Agege in fulfillment of its promise to develop the red meat value chain and restructure the complex for improved operations.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Oluwatoyin Suarau, who led a team of the Ministry of Agriculture officials on a tour of the complex to inspect the level of work done, said the rehabilitation work include perimeter fencing of the complex; removal of slums, shanties and markets in and around the complex and removal of heaps of solid waste.

According to him, the rehabilitation work will also involve reconditioning and management of mechanized slaughter line at the complex; installation of facilities for waste conversion known as bio-gas plant; construction of transit camp; provision of general cleaning services; construction of stripe processing facility and rehabilitation and maintenance of waste recycling plant.

Suarau stated that reconditioning and management of mechanized slaughter line at the complex would involve 1,800 animals per day as well as ensure that products from the line meet the global quality, safety and compliance requirements.

He added that installation of facilities for waste conversion, known as bio-gas plant, will help convert large volume of waste generated at the Abattoir into bio- gas to reduce the adverse effects of waste.

“The rehabilitation work will also involve construction of transit camp; a housing facility comprising of 100 units of self-contained rooms to accommodate cattle merchants on transit and construction of head, hide and stripe processing facility to curb unhygienic processing of meat products,” the Commissioner said.

Suarau also noted that there will be rehabilitation and maintenance of the waste recycling plant to provide the best and sustainable solution for the removal of the blood and gut content of the wastewater generated from the open slaughter slab and the mechanized slaughtering house.

He added that after the rehabilitation works, a general cleaning service unit will be established which will be responsible for general and day to day removal of all kinds of waste generated in the whole Abattoir complex; this according to him will help solve the problem of accumulated wastes resulting into heaps.

The Commissioner stated further that the State government will continue to train butchers, dislodge illegal abattoirs, seize stray animals and monitor how meat is transported to and from the complex and other abattoirs and slaughter slabs in the State.

“Currently, the State government and stakeholders in the abattoir are putting heads together to fully harness the Eko Large Ruminant Animal Project to enhance the integration of cognate sub project such as feed milling operation to ensure timely availability of quality compounded animal feeds in the desired quantity, animal slaughtering and processing, and distribution and marketing of processed beef,” Suarau said.

Re-affirming the commitment of the State government to bring development into the red meat value chain, the Commissioner said that there is a growing recognition that the planned reforms are desirable to meet the State’s mega city status where the best practices of meat handling, environmental and facility hygiene is adopted to meet the internationally acceptable standard.

“This will not only ensure that we move from the traditional way of animal slaughtering to a mechanized system but will also ensure full utilization of the abattoir in an efficient, effective and healthy way. This reform is focusing on food security, facility and environmental hygiene and processing,” he noted.