By Adedapo Adesanya
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has partnered with the Lagos State government to improve meat distribution across the country.
This was disclosed by the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria and Director Federal Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, Dr Maimuna Abdullahi Habbib, during the study tour and stakeholders’ engagement to understudy the air-cool Meatvans from the abattoirs and slaughterhouses to the various meat markets in Lagos State recently.
She revealed that the ministry would facilitate the process to ensure that a policy was drafted to ensure smooth operations, enforcement, and implementation of the process across the nation, pointing out that the Ministry had procured 37 vehicles that would be distributed to butchers for free in order to facilitate the process across the country.
Mrs Habbib further stated that the Ministry would strengthen its collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to make every structure and every movement of meat from the abattoir to the markets across the country a success.
In her remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture in Lagos, Ms Abisola Olusanya, said that “prior to the launching of the Eko Meat van project in the year 2004, the meat haulage business in Lagos State was rather disorganised, haphazard and unregulated.
She added that wooden carts were used to transport meat and carcasses from abattoirs and slaughter facilities to the deboning and bulk-breaking sections, but these have since been improved upon.
She pointed out 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 Polaris bank in agreement with the stakeholders.
The Commissioner further stated that in 2009, the Ministry launched the Eko Refrigerated Meatvan Project, which was an advancement of the air-cool Eko Meatvans into refrigerated form, and a total of 14 private investors’ companies along with the state butchers associations and Lagoon Butchers Ventures were successfully screened and licensed to operate the project under a jointly-registered cooperative umbrella known as Agege Meat van Multipurpose Cooperative society.
On his part, the state Director of veterinary services, Dr Macaulay Rasheed Molade, said that “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.”
In his goodwill message, the Chairman of the Lagos State Butchers Association, Mr Alabi Bamidele Kazeem, said that the butchers have been supportive of the state government and will continue to give its maximum cooperation.
Modupe Gbadeyanka