Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association has called on the Nasarawa State Government to declare a public health emergency at the Lafia Modern Abattoir, after a facility inspection revealed that the 14‑year‑old slaughterhouse has no running water, no concrete flooring, no drainage system and only six veterinarians to oversee animal health across 13 local government areas. NVMA president Dr. Moses Arokoyo, who led the inspection on 27 April as part of the 2026 World Veterinary Day activities, told journalists that the abattoir is a “ticking time bomb” that could trigger an anthrax outbreak capable of killing thousands and remaining entrenched for years. “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,” Arokoyo said. He warned that the absence of a proper floor means blood has soaked into the soil over the years, creating a reservoir for anthrax spores that could linger for a generation. “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. It will not go in three years. The spores of anthrax will be buried inside the ground because the flooring is not there, and blood has stayed here over the years,” he explained.
Built approximately 14 years ago without a slaughter slab, proper flooring, or a drainage system, the Lafia abattoir has received no significant renovation since its primary construction, according to Dr. Mukhtar Sabuwa, chairman of the NVMA’s Nasarawa State chapter. “There is a need for proper readjustment and, if possible, to demolish the abattoir,” Sabuwa said, adding that the facility had become “unsuitable for safe meat processing.” The abattoir’s secretary, Mohammed Gambela, confirmed that water supply remains critically inadequate despite high daily usage, and he appealed to the state government to provide additional boreholes and a reservoir.
Arokoyo further decried a severe shortage of veterinary personnel, noting that Nasarawa State employs only six veterinarians to cover all 13 local government areas. “How does the veterinary doctor measure up to that? Beginning from Nasarawa State and nationally, this is a national emergency situation,” he said. The NVMA president also warned that women who consume meat processed under such unhygienic conditions are at risk of frequent abortions and miscarriages. The association has urged the government to immediately reconstruct the facility, equip it with water and sanitation infrastructure, and declare a state of emergency before a disease outbreak occurs.
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