Livestock Ministry Trains Quality Assurance Assessors

News in brief:

-Nigeria's Livestock Ministry trained quality assurance assessors from six Northeast states on food safety and livestock product standards.

-The initiative supports Nigeria’s efforts to improve export competitiveness and strengthen livestock quality assurance systems nationwide.

The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development (FMLD), in collaboration with Reo-Forte Investment Limited, recently organised a three-day training programme for Quality Assurance Assessors as part of efforts to strengthen food safety, improve livestock product standards, and enhance export competitiveness.

The training, held in Yola between May 6 and May 8, 2026, brought together participants from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe States. It focused on building technical capacity in quality assurance systems, food safety compliance, traceability mechanisms, and regulatory standards across selected livestock value chains.

Participants received technical training on livestock value chains, animal product processing and marketing, record keeping and reporting systems, food safety and hazard analysis, risk-based inspection procedures, and laboratory testing protocols. Sessions also covered national, regional, and international regulatory frameworks, including Nigerian and ECOWAS standards.

FG Prioritises Quality Assurance Systems

Declaring the training open, the Director of Quality Assurance and Certification, Nurallah Abubakar, described quality assurance as essential to public health, food safety, and sustainable livestock sector development.

According to him, ensuring quality standards within the livestock industry remains critical to providing safe animal protein for domestic consumption and export markets.

Abubakar explained that the programme forms part of a broader national strategy aimed at strengthening quality assurance systems and increasing the number of certified assessors across the country.

He noted that participants would return to their various states to train additional stakeholders, adding that similar programmes would be extended to other geopolitical zones.

Nigeria Eyes Livestock Export Opportunities

The Director further highlighted Nigeria’s export potential in livestock products, particularly red meat and animal by-products, citing increasing international demand for Nigerian livestock products due to the country’s relatively natural animal production systems and lower dependence on veterinary drugs.

According to him, growing global concerns around antimicrobial resistance and food safety have positioned Nigeria favourably within international livestock markets, especially in the Middle East.

Abubakar linked the initiative to the implementation of the National Livestock Growth Acceleration Strategy (NL-GAS), stressing that effective quality assurance and certification systems are critical to improving productivity, food safety, market access, and overall sector growth.

He added that without strong quality assurance mechanisms, Nigeria would struggle to achieve meaningful improvements in export competitiveness and livestock sector development.