Management of slaughter houses in northern Nigeria and the safety of meat produced for human consumption

This work attempts to document the first comprehensive report on the conditions and management of major slaughter houses of northern Nigeria as well as the safety of meat produced for public consumption in these abattoirs. The study was carried out in seventeen major slaughter houses from 14 out of the 19 states that form the northern part of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Selection of abattoir from each state was based on its socio-economic importance to the local community in terms of number of animals slaughtered and quantity of meat supply to the area and also the level of commitment of each abattoir management to cooperate with the objectives of this research. On-the-spot assessment of the operational facilities and process operations was employed using videos and photographs for data collection on visit to each abattoir. A joint prospective meat inspection and focus group discussion (8–12 abattoir personnel) was carried out to highlight the problems of the slaughter houses. The study revealed absence or dilapidated conditions of basic abattoir infrastructures such as lairage, hoisting facilities, supply of potable water, constant electricity, drainage and waste disposal systems. Good hygienic practices were totally absent. Animals were not being examined regularly before or after slaughter leading to unsafe meat being released for public consumption and conveyed out of the abattoir using unhygienic means of transport. Waste disposal was indiscriminate and hazardous to the environment, while the authorities concerned were not making any effort to curtail the situation. Diseases of public health and economic importance that were most frequently encountered included Tuberculosis, CBPP and Helminthoses. It was concluded that, none of the major abattoirs in northern Nigeria met the minimum hygienic standard of operation as recommended by the Codex Alimentarius and they could not have supported the production of safe meat and meat products for human consumption.