Nasarawa Abattoir's Poor Hygiene Alarms Veterinary Doctors

The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) has sounded a grave alarm regarding the deplorable state of the Lafia Modern Abattoir. Our inspection, conducted as part of the 2026 World Veterinary Day activities, revealed a facility that is not merely inadequate but poses an immediate and severe threat to public health. The President of the NVMA, Dr. Moses Arokoyo, did not mince words, describing the abattoir as a breeding ground for disease, particularly warning of the catastrophic potential of an anthrax outbreak given the current conditions.

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You cannot have an abattoir without water. It is a risk, not just to all of us. This is not a place where animals should be slaughtered. This is a public health risk.

Our findings indicate a complete lack of basic infrastructure, including proper flooring, drainage, and a consistent water supply. This neglect, which has persisted for approximately 14 years since the abattoir's construction, means that meat intended for public consumption is being processed in an environment ripe for contamination. The implications are dire, with risks extending to widespread infectious diseases and even complications for pregnant women, such as miscarriages. This is not a matter that can be postponed; it demands an immediate state of emergency declaration by the Nasarawa State Government.

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If we have an outbreak of anthrax here, people would die in their thousands. If you have a single case of anthrax in this kind of place, it won’t be for one year, with the kind of floor I have seen here, with a shortage of water supply, if mistakenly there is an outbreak of anthrax here, it will not go in three years.

Furthermore, the shortage of veterinary personnel in Nasarawa State, with only six veterinarians serving 13 local government areas, exacerbates the problem. This national emergency situation requires urgent attention not just at the state level but across the country. The health and safety of Nigerians are at stake, and the government must prioritize the reconstruction and proper management of abattoirs to ensure compliance with sanitation laws and protect citizens from preventable health crises.

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Therefore, to the government, if I am permitted to say, I would say declare a state of emergency concerning this abattoir. It is not something to postpone; hundreds of cattle have been slaughtered here, and I mean for public consumption. So, a state of emergency should be declared concerning the abattoir.