By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

KADUNA — Butchers in Kaduna State have commended Governor Uba Sani for modernising abattoirs across the state’s three senatorial districts, saying the provision of modern cold-chain facilities and improved infrastructure has transformed meat processing, enhanced food safety and increased their earnings.

The commendation came during a media tour of the upgraded Zango Shanu Modern Abattoir in Sabon Gari Local Government Area, led by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, as journalists inspected projects executed by the state government in Kaduna North Senatorial District.

Speaking on behalf of the Butchers Association of Nigeria, Sabon Gari Branch, Alkasim Mai-Nama said the installation of cold rooms had ended years of financial losses caused by the lack of meat preservation facilities.

“Before now, whenever meat remained unsold, we had no choice but to throw it away because there was nowhere to preserve it. Today, with the cold rooms provided by Governor Uba Sani’s administration, we can safely store meat for later sale. This has drastically reduced wastage, improved hygiene and increased our daily income,” he said.

Mai-Nama added that improved sanitary conditions at the abattoir had also strengthened public confidence in the safety and quality of meat processed at the facility.

Also speaking, the Vice Chairman of the Butchers Association of Nigeria, Sabon Gari Branch, Jamilu Umar, described the intervention as the most comprehensive rehabilitation of the abattoir since its establishment in the early 1980s.

“For more than three decades, we operated under very difficult conditions. There were no functional drainage systems to evacuate blood, water supply was poor and there were no cold rooms for preservation.

“What we have today is a complete transformation that has restored dignity to our work and improved public health standards,” he said.

The Sarkin Fawan Badawa, Musa Dalhat Abubakar, said the construction of a perimeter fence had strengthened security and protected the investments of butchers and livestock traders.

“For over 30 years, the abattoir remained exposed to encroachment and theft because there was no fence. Today, our businesses are more secure, and the improved infrastructure has attracted butchers and livestock traders from neighbouring Katsina and Zamfara states, expanding commercial activities and boosting the local economy,” he said.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Malam Murtala Dabo, said the Uba Sani administration had prioritised investments across the livestock value chain to improve productivity, strengthen food security and enhance livelihoods.

He disclosed that 19 pastoralist communities had been provided with pasture fields and solar-powered boreholes to reduce seasonal migration and minimise farmer-herder conflicts.

“By providing grazing support and water infrastructure, we are enabling pastoralists to remain in designated settlements, boosting meat and dairy production while promoting peaceful coexistence,” Dabo said.

The commissioner further disclosed that the state government had constructed three modern abattoirs in Kaduna State’s three senatorial districts—Kawo, Kafanchan and Zango Shanu—as well as 21 slaughterhouses across the state to strengthen the livestock value chain.

According to him, the facilities are equipped with modern cold-chain infrastructure, including cold rooms, deep freezers, display refrigerators, hygienic meat shops, solar-powered boreholes and water-heating systems to ensure safe meat processing, storage and distribution.

Dabo said the upgraded Zango Shanu Modern Abattoir reflects the administration’s commitment to improving public health, promoting food safety, reducing post-slaughter losses, increasing the incomes of operators in the livestock value chain and positioning Kaduna State as a leading hub for livestock production and meat processing in Nigeria.