The Federal Government of Nigeria intends to stop the slaughter of livestock animals outside slaughterhouses.

The Federal Government of Nigeria plans to phase out the trade in live livestock in the future and completely transfer slaughter to the controlled conditions of modern abattoirs. This was stated by Minister of Livestock Development Idi Maiha in Kaduna at the presentation of TruValue Cattle Feed produced by Olam Agri. According to the minister, two large facilities and one mini-abattoir have already been laid out in Kwara State (in the Offa area), and a facility designed for the daily processing of 1,000 bulls and 3,000 small ruminants is under construction in Abuja.

To enter export markets and supply domestic consumption with quality meat, the authorities are introducing mandatory requirements: all animals (whether sheep, goat, pig, camel, or bull) must pass through feedlots prior to slaughter and meet established standards. As Idi Maiha noted, the shortage of quality and affordable feed is the main factor constraining the livestock productivity in the country, and also underlies conflicts between farmers and herders. Balanced feeding helps improve weight gains, shorten fattening periods, and increase the income of livestock producers.

The minister announced the presence of potential buyers for Nigerian red meat in the Persian Gulf countries, the Middle East, and Egypt. The ongoing National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy aims to increase the sector's share from $32 billion to $74 billion over 10 years, and the upcoming N-LEAP program will form a unified ecosystem for industry participants. Maiha also assured that the Livestock Development Centers do not imply the forced seizure of land from states or communities—regions will determine the value chains suitable for their zones themselves.

Representative of the Kaduna State Governor, Umar Ismail, noted that the investments of Olam Agri, which has invested $150 million in Nigeria's feed business over nine years, will serve as a powerful impetus for the transformation of the traditional sector. For his part, the company's Vice President for Agriculture, Samer Chedid, emphasized that by 2050, with the expected population growth to nearly 400 million people, the country will need 115% more beef and 575% more milk, which makes increasing livestock productivity a critically important task.