Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State has announced that the days of live cattle trekking into Lagos and Ogun markets are soon to be history. In what he described as a progressive pivot, the state intends to process cattle locally, slaughtering them in Mokwa, before transporting chilled and frozen cuts to the Southwest. The new arrangement is expected to be facilitated by modern cold‑chain logistics, including LNG‑powered refrigerated trucks supplied through a strategic partnership with Lagos State.
This shift forms part of a broader agenda to transition from low-margin raw exports to value-added agricultural produce. Governor Bago emphasised that keeping livestock alive for sale, with all its subsequent lag in price control, leaves producers, and the economy, vulnerable. Processing locally offers the state greater leverage to set prices and capture more value across every usable part of the animal.
Under the new model, cattle will be taken to a central abattoir in Mokwa, processed under hygienic conditions, and sent as frozen, branded packages to outlets such as Shoprite in Lagos. This approach not only cuts down on spoilage and inefficiencies in transit, but it also signals a modernization drive in meat supply chains across the region.
Governor Bago framed this policy as more than just commerce, it’s a strategic repositioning to place Niger State at the heart of Nigeria’s emerging export‑oriented food economy. With an eye on global markets, Niger is already negotiating livestock offtake deals worth hundreds of millions, beginning with a $10 million tranche as part of a broader $100 million agreement with Saudi Arabia.
