Group Decries Poor Abattoir Conditions, Unveils Digital Livestock Marketplace

ABIS Group has raised concerns over the poor condition of many abattoirs across Nigeria, describing outdated infrastructure, inadequate maintenance, and unhygienic operating conditions as major threats to food safety and the growth of the livestock industry.

The group disclosed this during the launch of the ABIS Digital Marketplace in Abuja, a technology-driven platform aimed at transforming Nigeria’s protein supply chain from farm and sea to consumers’ tables.

The initiative is designed to address longstanding challenges in the livestock, meat, seafood, and poultry sectors by improving efficiency, transparency, traceability, and access to quality animal protein through digital solutions.

Speaking at the event, which attracted key stakeholders across the livestock value chain, ABIS Co-founder, Dr Iliyasu Gashinbaki, said the platform goes beyond being an online marketplace, describing it as a comprehensive digital ecosystem connecting producers, processors, distributors, businesses, and consumers.

“It is a digital ecosystem designed to connect producers, processors, distributors, businesses, and consumers through a secure, transparent, and efficient platform,” he said.

Gashinbaki said ABIS Group’s vision was to reshape the way livestock products are produced, traded, and distributed in Nigeria, creating new opportunities for value chain actors while contributing to national economic growth.

He revealed that the company had established an export-ready processing facility equipped with a modern laboratory and was working to position Nigeria as a major supplier of livestock products to international markets, particularly countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

“We are optimistic that before the end of the year, Nigeria will be well-positioned to export, particularly to countries within the GCC region. At that stage, the digital platform will be expanded to accommodate international markets,” he said.

He added that the company would ensure compliance with international requirements, including food safety standards, disease control measures, certification processes, and other regulatory obligations before opening the platform to global trade.

In his address, ABIS Founder and Chairman, Ambassador Emmanuel Nelson Usman, described the digital marketplace as a new national infrastructure built around trust, traceability, efficiency, and inclusion.

According to him, the platform would connect producers, processors, distributors, retailers, and consumers within a single technology-enabled ecosystem that would redefine Nigeria’s animal protein sector.

“This is far more than a technology application. It is the foundation of a safer, smarter, and more transparent protein ecosystem driving full-spectrum digitisation across the livestock value chain,” Usman said.

He noted that the platform would help deliver safe, ethically sourced, hygienically processed, and traceable animal protein while strengthening public health, food security, market access, and producers’ livelihoods.

Representing the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, Dr Abdulkareem Durosinlorun commended ABIS Group for introducing technology into the livestock sector, noting that the initiative would improve accessibility, transparency, and consumer confidence.

“People no longer have to go to the market physically; they can buy protein online. This brings significant development to the livestock sector. It creates new jobs, promotes transparency, and allows buyers to see exactly what they are purchasing,” he said.

He added that the Federal Government was implementing policies to improve access to breeding stock and animal feed, while creating an enabling environment for livestock producers to participate in international exports.

Nigeria’s livestock industry, currently estimated at N33 trillion, contributes less than three per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), largely due to inefficiencies in processing, distribution, and market access.

ABIS Group said its digital marketplace would help bridge this gap by connecting its industrial-scale production capacity directly with consumers. The company currently has the capacity to process about 220 cattle, 3,000 poultry birds, and 500 tonnes of fish daily in Lagos, with expansion plans for its Abuja Mega Livestock Processing Facility, Plateau facility, and Edo ultramodern abattoir.

The initiative is expected to support food security, create employment opportunities, improve standards across the protein value chain, and strengthen Nigeria’s prospects of benefiting from emerging international meat export opportunities, including the Nigeria-Saudi Arabia $2 billion meat export agreement.