Assessment of facilities and slaughter figures of livestock species in Oko-Oba central abattoir Ifako-Ijaye, Agege Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

Abattoirs are needed to centralize slaughter processes and ensure surveillance of animal diseases at slaughter in order to avoid zoonotic transmission to humans through meat consumption. Inadequate facilities and hygiene at abattoirs can result in the contamination of meat and cause occupational hazards to workers. The objectives of this study were to assess the conditions of the facilities and the daily slaughter figures of livestock species at Oko-oba abattoir, Ifako-ijaye, Agege Lagos State. The study was conducted for three seasons from August 2020 to April 2021. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on the study area, while daily visits, physical observation and interviews were used to collect data. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequencies and percentages. Cattle was the most commonly slaughtered species (92.34 %), followed by goat (6.34 %), sheep (1.15 %) and camel (0.18 %) in the late wet season (August - September). Cattle, goat, sheep and camel were slain in decreasing order during the early dry season (October - December) (90.17 %, 8.38 %, 1.40 % and 0.04 % respectively). In the late dry season (January - April), the cattle were recorded to have 88.00 %, goat 10.92 %, sheep 1.07 % and camel 0.01 %. It was determined that the season had no impact on the types of livestock slaughtered. Cattle were the most butchered species regardless of the seasons studied, followed by goats, sheep and camels. The abattoir also lacks several fundamental amenities that are expected of a standard abattoir, and those that are present are either non-functional or inadequate.