FG Trains Livestock Quality Assessors To Boost Food Safety, Exports

The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has trained quality assurance assessors across the Northeast as part of efforts to strengthen food safety standards and improve Nigeria’s livestock export potential.

The three-day training, organised in collaboration with Reo-Forte Investment Limited, was held in Yola, Adamawa State, from May 6 to 8, 2026.

Participants drawn from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states were trained on food safety compliance, traceability systems, regulatory standards, inspection procedures, and quality assurance mechanisms within the livestock sector.

Declaring the training open, director of Quality Assurance and Certification, Nurallah Abubakar, said quality assurance remained critical to public health, food safety, and sustainable livestock development.

“Ensuring quality is the bottom line for all our activities, especially when it concerns animal and human health,” he said.

Abubakar stated that the programme formed part of a broader national strategy to strengthen quality assurance systems and expand the number of certified assessors nationwide.

He added that the federal government planned to extend similar trainings to other geopolitical zones to build a stronger national quality assurance framework.

The director also highlighted Nigeria’s export potential in red meat and animal by-products, noting growing international demand for Nigerian livestock products due to their largely natural production systems.

According to him, effective quality assurance systems are necessary to improve productivity, enhance food safety, and increase Nigeria’s competitiveness in export markets.

Also speaking, director of Veterinary Services, Nyalas Bartholomew, described the training as timely, saying livestock operations in many parts of the country had for years operated with weak quality control systems.

He said the ministry deliberately selected field officers for the training to ensure standards enforcement at abattoirs, poultry markets, dairy facilities, and other livestock production centres.

Bartholomew assured participants of the ministry’s commitment to strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks to support compliance with national and international standards.

Participants during the programme also visited the Jimeta Modern Abattoir where they assessed sanitary conditions, inspection systems, traceability procedures, and operational standards.

Chief consultant in the Department of Quality Assurance and Certification, Chinwe Ezejiofor, said the initiative was aimed at positioning Nigeria’s livestock sector for increased export opportunities and greater contribution to the economy.

Participants identified poor sanitation, weak record-keeping, inadequate antimortem inspection, and unsafe meat handling practices as major gaps requiring urgent attention.

Responding, Jimeta Modern Abattoir manager, Joshua Mallum Shallangwa, said efforts were ongoing to improve facilities at the abattoir, including renovation of the slaughterhouse and construction of cold rooms and biodigesters.

He, however, acknowledged challenges including poor drainage, inadequate infrastructure, and irregular water supply.