Bennett Oghifo
ABIS Group has said that the state of abattoirs in Nigeria remains a major concern as many are outdated, poorly maintained, and operate under unhygienic conditions, posing a serious challenge to food safety and the livestock industry.
This was disclosed at the official launch of ABIS Digital Market Place in Abuja designed to modernise Nigeria’s protein supply chain – from farm/sea, to the table – using technology to solve the inefficiencies that plague livestock, meat, seafood, and poultry market in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event which attracted stakeholders from the livestock value chain in Nigeria, ABIS Co-founder, Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbaki, explained the Digital Marketplace is far more than an online marketplace. “It is a digital ecosystem designed to connect producers, processors, distributors, businesses, and consumers through a secure, transparent, and efficient platform.”
According to him, the group’s aspiration is to transform the way livestock products are bought, sold, and distributed in Nigeria, creating new opportunities for producers, businesses, and consumers while contributing meaningfully to the growth of the national economy.
“We have already established an export-ready processing facility supported by a modern laboratory. We are optimistic that before the end of the year, Nigeria will be well-positioned to export, particularly to countries within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
“At that stage, the digital platform will be expanded to accommodate international markets. Before doing so, we want to ensure that every regulatory requirement is met, including food safety standards, disease control regulations, certification processes, and all other relevant compliance requirements.
“Once these are fully in place, we will officially open the platform to international trade,” the Co-founder revealed.
In his message to the participants, ABIS Founder and Chairman, Ambassador Emmanuel Nelson Usman said the Digital Marketplace represents a new national infrastructure for trust, traceability, efficiency, and inclusion; connecting producers, processors, distributors, retailers, and consumers within a single technology-driven ecosystem that is redefining how Nigeria produces, trades, and consumes animal protein.
“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 to deliver safe, ethically sourced, hygienically processed, and fully traceable animal protein to consumers while strengthening public health, food safety, market access, and producer prosperity,” he stressed.
In his remarks, the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, represented by Dr. Abdulkareem Durosinlorun, commended ABIS Group for the initiative which will make protein more accessible to people through technology.
“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. It also improves traceability, ensuring that what people receive meets their expectations. Overall, this is a very important development,” he emphasised.
According to the minister, the government is also developing policies to support the sector, ensuring that breeding stock and animal feed are more readily available for livestock producers. “In addition, policies are being put in place to enable Nigerians involved in livestock production to export their animals in the near future.”
Recall that Nigeria’s livestock sector is valued at N33 trillion, yet contributes less than 3% to GDP, a gap driven by inefficiencies in processing, distribution, and access.
ABIS Digial Market Place plans to close that gap by connecting its industrial- scale capacity (220 cattle, 3,000 poultry birds & 500 tons of fish daily in Lagos alone; scaling further with Abuja Mega Livestock Processing Facility, Plateau Facility and Edo ultramodern abattoir), directly to consumers at digital speed solving a real trust problem, strengthening food security, creating jobs and positioning ABIS Group for export growth, thereby leveraging the Nigeria- Saudi Arabia $2 billion meat export deal.
