After years of construction and perfecting
administrative procedures, another landmark
project is set to grace the Nigerian health and
economic landscape from the stable of the Oyo
State government. A multi-billion naira abattoir,
which is the largest in Nigeria, is set to open in
Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. BISI OLADELE
writes on the project that will bring world-class
standard to meat processing and transform the
economy of the city.
Four billion Naira and 10 hectares of land are
involved. It took one year of construction. All
these and many more went into the emergence
of Ibadan Central Abattoir which is, perhaps, the
largest abattoir in West Africa.
The sprawling modern structure, which is
situated along Ibadan-Oyo Expressway in
Akinyele Local Government Area, holds the key
to hygienically-produced meat, job
opportunities, revenue generation for the
government as well as protection of public
interest.
By the time Governor Abiola Ajimobi inaugurated
its operation by the end of the year, meat
processing will move up to the standard of the
World Health Organisation (WHO), with no fewer
than 200 traders, including meat retailers and
those trading in ancillary products and services,
opening shop at the market complex and the in-
built motor park thereby injecting life into the
small community.
With a police station, clinic, commercial bank
and other social services incorporated in the
abattoir complex, Ajimobi’s name will go down
in the history of Oyo State as a governor whose
tenure witnessed massive economic rebound and
urban renewal. After inauguration, the abattoir
will create an economic cluster and mini-town
with potential for growth and development
based in meat and allied products from the
slaughtering and processing centre.
The project
The Ibadan Central Abattoir is a Private-Public-
Partnership (PPP) project undertaken by C and E
Limited, a local construction company that
specialises in PPP ventures. The abattoir project
was conceived and initiated in 2009 during the
tenure of former governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala.
It was conceived as a build-operate-transfer
(BOT) project for 30 years.
His successor, Abiola Ajimobi, continued with
the arrangement though with a minor
amendment in the shareholding and tenure
structure. Currently, the tenure stands at 25
years with the government earning 30 per cent
of the abattoir’s total annual revenue.
The abattoir offers both modern and traditional
slaughtering methods, rapid turn-around time
and excellent hygienic conditions as against the
current informal structure that leaves room for
unhygienic slaughtering and meat distribution.
The project has the capacity for 1,000 heads of
animals (cow, sheep/goats and pigs) per day and
is expandable to 5,000 heads per day with
excellent ancillary facilities.
Manual slaughter slabs
The abattoir has two manual slaughter slabs with
average area of 1,500 m2 each and well-
furnished to accommodate over 200 butchers
slaughtering cows, pigs, goats and sheep
simultaneously.
Mechanical slaughter slab
The mechanical slaughter slab which is used in all
developed countries was installed in the abattoir.
It has the capacity to slaughter 500 cows per
day, which is expandable to 2,000 per day.
Lairage
The lairage comprises the veterinary doctors’
office, health officers’ office, modern aboratory
and three concrete paved holding pens for
animals before slaughtering. The holding pens are
approximately 12, 000 m2 in size.
Arrangement for offices for veterinary doctors
and health officers makes the environment
conducive to the discharge of their duties. Since
animals are brought into the abattoir in large
quantity, the doctors and health officers will find
it more convenient to offer services in a
centralised place thereby ensuring that all
animals pass health test before they are
slaughtered and passed on to the public for
consumption. Their services will also be
enhanced with the provision of the modern
laboratory.
The holding pens offer a comfortable place for
the animals to stay for minimum of 24 hours
before they are slaughtered. This enables the
animals to be stable after a long journey from
the northern part of the country before they are
slaughtered. The pen for the cattle is different
from the sheep’s and pigs’.
Security and storage
The abattoir has two large cold rooms with 24-
hour electricity supply and a modern red brick
incinerator. It also has three gate houses and a
police station for security purposes.
Administration/hospitality
Within the large complex lies an administrative
block comprising offices for staff of the firm and
related workers. The block also houses Butchers
Co-operative Building, a commercial bank, a
canteen and a clinic to cater for ailing butchers,
members of staff of abattoir and customers.
Market and shops
There are currently 224 shops for grabs by meat
sellers and other traders in the abattoir.
External services
The abattoir contains five conveniences, good
road network with asphaltic pavement and
concrete drains as well as external electrification,
including solar-powered street lights.
As part of the agreement reached by the
government and the firm, all other abattoirs in
the 11 local government areas in Ibadan are to
move to the central abattoir to undertake
hygienic slaughtering of animals. The idea is to
ensure standardisation of the meat being
processed in the city for the health of
consumers.
Other smaller informal abattoirs in the city have
already been declared illegal by the government
with the expectation that butchers will move to
the central abattoir to begin operation before
the end of the year.
The firm and government representatives have
held series of meeting with the butchers’
association to educate them on the importance
and gains of the central abattoir to their
business and the health of members of the
public. The association, in a December 10, 2014
letter to Ajimobi, also expressed their
preparedness to move to the new abattoir.
Government has also written to all other
abattoirs in the city to move to the new modern
abattoir for further activities.
When the government finally enforces the order
by December, activities in the central abattoir
will be in full swing, bringing fulfilment to all
stakeholders, including residents in the
community.
It is estimated that the project will generate
about 2,000 jobs with coordinated revenue to
the government and protection of the health of
the public.
Much more than the government and members
of the public, veterinary doctors practising in
the state are very excited at the project.
Speaking on the abattoir, the Chairman of the
Oyo State branch of the Association of
Veterinary Doctors, Dr Musbau Ibrahim, said the
association would be the happiest to witness its
launch
According to him, the association had been in
the forefront of agitation for a modern abattoir
given the dangers inherent in informal abattoirs
which he described as unfit.
Dr Ibrahim said a modern abattoir is central to
the health of the public; given the fact that
Nigerians consume a lot of meat.
He further explained that the new project will
ensure that all necessary ante-mortem and post-
mortem tests are conducted on all the animals
before they are passed onto the public for
consumption.

Na 2 works dem dey do for Ibadan.

It’s either you’re a butcherer (eleran) or you’re a driver.

i wish he could also complete all roads project on going and modern schools he is building before the end of the year.

Hyinkar97:
Na 2 works dem dey do for Ibadan.

It’s either you’re a butcherer (eleran) or you’re a driver.

It shows how un intelligent you are tell us your village and lets compare.You know the numbers of multi national companies in ibadan?

Tundeobama:
i wish he could also complete all roads project on going and modern schools he is building before the end of the year.

Just forget about those projects!


It's a looting spree for the next general election for now!

Tundeobama:

[b]It shows how un intelligent you are [/b]tell us your village and lets compare.You know the numbers of multi national companies in ibadan?

You just displayed the level of your intelligence by failing to see the joke in my comment

The project was initiated and started by aloa akala, not the one year of construction time as depicted in the wrute up

hayoholla:
The project was initiated and started by aloa akala, not the one year of construction time as depicted in the wrute up

Akala only signed MOU with no financial contribution towards starting the project.

bro, the physical structure was set in pkace already before ajimobi assumed position of the state governor, that was towards the tail end of alao akalas's regime.

Be eating more cows when herdsmen are busy killing your farmers and destroying their livelihood