The minister of livestock development, Idi Maiha, has called for legislation to ensure that all animals slaughtered in abattoirs are processed under controlled and hygienic conditions to guarantee public health.

Mr Maiha made the call on Friday in Abuja at the 2025 ministerial news conference.

He emphasised that such measures would ensure the healthiness of slaughtered animals for consumption and enable the country to fully harness the potential inherent in the livestock sector.

He highlighted the underutilisation of resources in abattoirs, such as cow blood, horns, skin, bones, bone marrow, and bile, which were currently wasted.

Mr Maiha noted that if these resources were fully utilised, the hide and skin alone could create 700,000 jobs and generate about 23 billion dollars in value for the country.

He further explained that economically, if 200 cows were slaughtered in an abattoir, the blood could be channelled to blood banks, with each cow having 30 litres of blood valued at 1,000 naira per litre.

Mr Maiha said that after slaughter, each cow produced 30 kilogrammes of solid waste, which could be used to make biogas to power the abattoir.

He said the bones could be crushed into calcium for animal feed, and the bone marrow could be sent to pharmaceutical companies for drug production.

Mr Maiha attributed the current hike in beef prices to over-dependence on red meat, which constituted 55 per cent of cow meat, while other parts were considered waste.

He assured that the ministry would ensure best practices in abattoirs to create jobs for the masses and enhance the country’s economy.

Mr Maiha emphasised the ministry’s vision to build a resilient, sustainable, inclusive, and globally competitive livestock sector that drives economic diversification, growth, job opportunities, food and nutrition security, and improved livelihoods.

He added that the mission was to create innovative, inclusive, and sustainable public service programmes to address the agricultural sector and ensure that the volume and value of businesses there were unlocked.

The conference aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of the government’s progress and developmental agenda.

It was also in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu to all ministers to provide updates on the achievements, policies, and programmes of their respective ministries.

This initiative underscores the administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and effective communication with the Nigerian public.

(NAN)