Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani
The Butchers Association of Nigeria, Sabon Gari Branch, has commended Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, for modernising abattoirs across the state, saying the intervention has transformed meat preservation, improved hygiene standards and increased the earnings of butchers.
The association gave the commendation on Monday during a media tour of the upgraded Zango Shanu Modern Abattoir in Sabon Gari Local Government Area.
The tour, facilitated by the Kaduna State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, enabled journalists to inspect projects executed by the state government in the northern part of the state.
Speaking on behalf of the association, Alkasim Mai-Nama said the installation of modern cold-chain facilities has addressed one of the biggest challenges faced by butchers over the years—post-slaughter meat losses.
He recalled that before the intervention, butchers had no means of preserving unsold meat and were often compelled to dispose of it, resulting in significant financial losses.
“Before now, if meat remained unsold, we had no option but to throw it away because there was nowhere to preserve it. Today, with the cold rooms provided by Governor Uba Sani’s administration, we can safely store meat for later sale. This has drastically reduced wastage, improved hygiene and increased our daily income,” he said.
Mai-Nama added that the improved sanitary conditions at the abattoir have strengthened public confidence in the quality and safety of meat processed at the facility.
Also speaking, the Vice Chairman of the Butchers Association, Sabon Gari Branch, Jamilu Umar, described the rehabilitation of the Zango Shanu abattoir as the most extensive upgrade since the facility was established in the early 1980s.
He said the abattoir previously lacked basic infrastructure such as an efficient drainage system, reliable water supply and cold storage facilities, making operations difficult for butchers.
“What we have today is a complete transformation that has restored dignity to our work and improved public health standards,” he said.
The Sarkin Fawan Badawa, Musa Dalhat Abubakar, also praised the construction of a perimeter fence around the abattoir, noting that it has enhanced security and protected the investments of butchers and livestock traders.
According to him, the absence of a fence for more than three decades exposed the facility to encroachment and theft, but the new infrastructure has created a safer business environment and attracted traders from neighbouring Katsina and Zamfara states, thereby expanding commercial activities.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Malam Murtala Dabo, said the Uba Sani administration has prioritised investments across the livestock value chain to improve productivity, strengthen food security and enhance livelihoods.
He disclosed that 19 pastoralist communities have been provided with pasture fields and solar-powered boreholes to reduce seasonal migration and minimise farmer-herder conflicts.
“By providing grazing support and water infrastructure, we are enabling pastoralists to remain in designated settlements, boosting meat and dairy production while promoting peaceful coexistence,” Dabo said.
The commissioner further revealed that the state government has constructed three modern abattoirs across Kaduna State’s three senatorial districts in Kawo, Kafanchan and Zango Shanu as well as 21 slaughterhouses across the state to strengthen the livestock value chain.
According to him, the facilities are equipped with modern cold-chain infrastructure, including cold rooms, deep freezers, display refrigerators, hygienic meat shops, solar-powered boreholes and water-heating systems to ensure safe meat processing, preservation and distribution.
Dabo said the upgraded Zango Shanu Modern Abattoir reflects the government’s commitment to improving public health, strengthening food safety, reducing post-slaughter losses, increasing the incomes of livestock value chain operators and positioning Kaduna State as a leading hub for livestock production and meat processing in Nigeria.
