The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Lagos State Government are set to partner on safe and improved transport system of meat distribution across the country.
The Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria and Director, Federal Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, Dr. Maimuna Abdullahi Habbib, gave the assurance during a study tour and stakeholders engagement to understudy Lagos state air-cool meat vans that convey meat from abattoirs and slaughterhouses to the various meat markets in the state recently.
Speaking further during the tour, Habbib revealed 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, this is eve as she stated that the Ministry has procured 37 vehicles that will be distributed to butchers across the country for free in order to facilitate the process across the country”
She further stated that the Ministry will strengthen it collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to secure every movement of meat from abattoir to the market across the country.
Welcoming the Chief Veterinary Officer, the Commissioner of Agriculture in the state, Ms. Ruth Abisola Olusanya revealed that meat haulage business in the State was disorganised, haphazard and unregulated prior to the launching of Eko Meat van Project in Year 2004, saying wooden carts were used to transport Meat and Carcasses in the state.
She said 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 state wide, noting that the project was funded by Skye bank in agreement with the stakeholders.
In his address, 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”.
