Yemi Kosoko in Jos
Plateau State on Monday formally launched the construction of a 500 cattle per day ultra modern abattoir, a flagship project within the Heipang Special Agro Processing Zone (SAPZ) in Barkin Ladi, marking what Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang described as “the ground breaking of a new economic future for Plateau State.”
The ceremony, attended by federal officials, development partners, traditional leaders, and private sector stakeholders, signals the state’s most ambitious step yet toward building a modern livestock economy anchored on processing, value addition, and industrial growth.
In his address, Governor Mutfwang said the project represents a decisive shift from traditional livestock practices to a modern, industrialized value chain system capable of creating thousands of jobs.
“Today is more than the ground breaking of an abattoir. Today is the ground breaking of a new economic future for Plateau State,” he said.
He explained that the automated facility designed to slaughter 500 cattle daily will be the largest of its kind in the region and will replace “crude, unhygienic slaughter with a world class system that meets international standards.”
The governor emphasized that Plateau State must move from exporting raw products to processing them locally, noting that “the difference between poverty and prosperity is often the difference between producing and processing.”
Governor Mutfwang outlined a comprehensive livestock value chain strategy that extends far beyond meat production. He highlighted opportunities in hides and skins, leather manufacturing, feed production, cold chain logistics, dairy development, and organic fertilizer processing.
“Every animal processed here represents multiple economic opportunities,” he said, listing income streams from meat, hides, bones, blood, waste to energy, transportation, packaging, and export.
He stressed the administration’s vision is for every segment of the chain to generate income for Plateau citizens, from maize and soybean farmers to dairy collectors, transporters, feedlot operators, and processors.
The governor also underscored the economic potential of forage and fodder production, describing it as a billion dollar global industry.
The abattoir is located within the 500 hectare Heipang SAPZ, which the state government intends to develop into a major agro industrial hub hosting cold storage operators, leather tanners, feed manufacturers, and packaging companies.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, praised Plateau State for taking a bold step toward modernizing Nigeria’s red meat industry.
He described the project as; “the laying of a foundation for the new livestock economy that protects public health, rewards producers, creates decent jobs, supports export, and restores dignity to every link of the red meat value chain.”
Maiha noted that Jos is a natural hub for livestock development due to its climate, strong farming communities, transport links, and the presence of the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom.
The Plateau State Commissioner for Livestock Development, Veterinary Services and Fisheries, Dr. Sunday Akpa, said the abattoir represents a turning point in Nigeria’s transition from informal slaughter to modern meat processing.
He stated that the facility will help the country move “from waste to value, from avoidable disease risk to food safety, and from trade in raw live animals to an integrated meat industry.”
The project is supported by the World Bank, SAPZ National Office, LPRES, and the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, among others. Governor Mutfwang thanked the partners for their technical and financial support.
He urged the host communities of Pommol and Heipang to protect and take ownership of the project. “This facility is yours. Protect it, own it, and benefit from it,” he said.
