By Olamide Francis and Abisola Adeyemo
The state of abattoirs in Nigeria has consistently been a source of major concern to public health professionals and environmentalists. Beyond the calls for abattoirs to produce hygienic meats, concerned stakeholders have beckoned on abattoir management to minimize the negative health and environmental implications abattoirs have on their respective host communities. The reason for this call isn’t far-fetched. With high rates of resource consumption, cities face serious problems of high volumes of waste, characterized by inadequate disposal technologies, high costs of management, and the adverse impact of wastes on the environment.
Abattoirs, or slaughterhouses, are a major source of water and air pollution worldwide. Waste generated by abattoirs in Nigeria includes condemned organs, carcasses, blood, hides, horns, hoofs, hairs, paunch content, and carcass trimmings.
Nature News examines the environment of two major abattoirs in Nigeria; one in the country’s commercial capital, Lagos, and another in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
Take-Aways from The Two Abattoirs
According to a report in 2014, The Lagos State abattoir, Oko-Oba, is reputed to be the biggest in Nigeria; with about 3,000 cattle being slaughtered on a daily basis. In another 2016 report, it was reported to be the largest in West Africa. The Oko-Oba abattoir is an eyesore, an effect of a failed and broken system. From dilapidated slaughter slabs to poor sewage and waste disposal system; to alleged slaughtering of unhealthy cows and unethical workers.
Liquid and semi-liquid wastes generated at Oko-Oba are directed into the run-off gutters of the main road. If they find their way into the wrong channel, they are capable of polluting surface and underground water as well as the air. Solid wastes are dumped and incinerated at a dumpsite close to the slaughter site causing air pollution which subsequently produces methane gas that intensifies the greenhouse effect on global warming. All the method of waste disposal attracts flies and a stench that has proved to be detrimental to human health. As a result of these improper waste disposal methods, abattoirs-related environmental and health hazards have become prevalent.
Nature News visited Kubwa abattoir to compare the environment with the abattoir complex in Lagos. To our uttermost surprise, there is no considerable difference, or even worse. Despite the neat environment, a huge number of customers walk freely into the slaughter room with dirty feet or slippers. The water supply for meat washing and processing was from a nearby toilet inside the slaughterhouse.
According to the Seriki of Kubwa abattoir, Alhaji Sule Umar: “Kubwa abattoir is the headquarter of the abattoirs in Abuja and it is fully subjected to the authority of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The management ensures that the environment is well cleaned up and well-arranged before anybody can slaughter any animal.
“Also we have our veterinary doctors that inspect cattle skins to check for Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) before slaughter and after slaughtering, they test the kidneys, liver, alimentary canals in case of an internal disease.”
The Seriki also complained of a lack of government intervention in setting up necessary facilities in the abattoir complex.
“Some of the necessary things you see here are done by the association and management. The government hasn’t been of help since. We appeal to the government to empower the youths among us and support us in any way,” he said.
Unsanitary abattoirs could be a source of infectious diseases outbreak such as cholera, parasitic worms, or brucellosis – diseases that have been linked to meat consumption. Beyond these diseases, the risk of getting infected with the deadly bovine tuberculosis is high.
Countries around the world have experienced disease outbreaks linked to contaminated foods at various times. An example is the 2017 Listeria outbreak in South Africa that led to the death of 200 people. The World Health Organisation estimates that about 91 million people fall ill every year due to foodborne diseases in Africa, of which more than 70% are diarrhea-related diseases which can be easily linked to the unhygienic ways of meat processing in abattoirs. Some of these practices not only expose Nigerians to infectious diseases through consumption of potentially contaminated meat but also are risk factors for non-communicable diseases such as cancers by consuming kpomo that is exposed to particles produced from burning tyres.
Challenges Facing Abattoirs in Nigeria
The challenges facing abattoirs are numerous and finding solutions to these issues is becoming increasingly difficult especially with the proliferation of abattoirs in residential areas. Most abattoirs are not cited based on an environmental impact assessment report. Political decision-making supersedes rational thinking in the citing of abattoirs in Nigeria. This is because leaders often only think of political gains when deciding where to site an abattoir, rather than a thorough assessment of its likely impact on the environment.
Another problem is that existing legislation in Nigeria emphasises the hygiene of slaughtered products. But it doesn’t consider the operation, handling, and maintenance of the slaughterhouses themselves. As we saw with the Kubwa abattoir, the breakdown of abattoir facilities is directly affecting the production of hygienic meats. Abattoir generates revenue but isn’t used to maintain and upgrade abattoir facilities.
In addition, the lack of training and education for core abattoir stakeholders and managers is another serious challenge facing abattoirs in Nigeria. Abattoir managers should undergo basic training and certification in Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols. These protocols would allow them to understand how to ensure the environment where animals are killed is infection-proof and ensure that those who work at the abattoirs, as well as those who come there to purchase meat, are practicing protective techniques that will prevent infections from spreading.
The Way Forward
The food industry, particularly the meat industry has always been and will continue to be a major factor in the daily life of Nigerians, and as such will be a determinant of health and wellbeing. The Nigerian government must consider the state of abattoirs and budget appropriately for their operations and regulation, as this is another way to prevent epidemics and protect the health of Nigerians.
There must be a modernised legislative framework that will serve as a guide for the proper planning, design, construction, licensing and operation of abattoirs. Such a framework must meet international requirements and operate within statutory provisions to protect the environmental, public health and well-being of residents. The framework must also specify what developments can, or can’t, happen within the vicinity of abattoirs. In addition, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must be conducted before citing any abattoir.
Also, the rules and regulations for environment-friendly sanitation practices in abattoirs must be strict. Processes that involve storage, disposal and transportation of animal waste must be closely monitored.
The establishment of abattoirs without environmental and health considerations must be discontinued as it will only invite infectious diseases and potential pandemics such as COVID-19.
