Construction has begun on a 500-cattle-per-day ultra-modern abattoir within the Heipang Special Agro-Processing Zone (SAPZ) in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State. Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang presided over the launch ceremony on Monday in Jos, describing the project as "the ground-breaking of a new economic future for Plateau State." The facility, located in a 500-hectare agro-industrial zone, is designed to replace informal slaughter systems with a world-class, automated processing system that meets international standards.
Mutfwang said the abattoir marks a shift from exporting raw livestock to adding value through local processing, emphasizing that "the difference between poverty and prosperity is often the difference between producing and processing." He outlined a broader livestock value-chain strategy that includes opportunities in hides and skins, leather manufacturing, feed production, cold-chain logistics, dairy development, and organic fertilizer. Every processed animal, he said, will generate multiple income streams from meat, bones, blood, waste-to-energy, packaging, and export.
The governor highlighted forage and fodder production as a billion-dollar global industry and positioned Plateau to tap into it. The Heipang SAPZ is planned as a hub for cold-storage operators, tanners, feed manufacturers, and packaging firms. The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, praised the project as foundational to a new livestock economy that ensures public health, creates jobs, and supports exports. He noted Jos's strategic advantages, including climate, farming communities, transport links, and the presence of the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in Vom.
Dr. Sunday Akpa, Plateau's Commissioner for Livestock Development, Veterinary Services and Fisheries, said the abattoir signals Nigeria's move from informal slaughter to modern meat processing, improving food safety and reducing disease risk. The project is backed by the World Bank, SAPZ National Office, LPRES, and the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development. Mutfwang urged host communities in Pommol and Heipang to protect and take ownership of the facility, calling it theirs to benefit from.
Governor Mutfwang claims the abattoir ends crude slaughter while still relying on informal systems to deliver 500 cattle daily to the yet-unfinished facility. The promise of thousands of jobs and multiple income streams hinges on a supply chain that does not yet exist. No timeline was given for when the abattoir will begin operations or meet its daily processing target.
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