Lagos reopens Oko-Oba abattoir

The Lagos State Government has ordered the immediate reopening of the Oko-Oba Abattoir in the Agege area following the operators’ compliance with sanitation and hygiene regulations.

The facility was shut on June 19 over what the government described as environmental violations and inappropriate operational practices.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the operators had “substantially complied with the minimum benchmark for the operations of abattoirs in the state, which was flagrantly flouted initially, necessitating the closure.”

He added that, as part of the conditions for reopening, officials from the ministry would now conduct monthly inspections of the abattoir.

We therefore urge the operators to avoid unsanitary activities, waste mismanagement, and unhygienic handling of animal products as they conduct their businesses,” the ministry said in a separate statement on Friday.

Wahab had earlier expressed displeasure with the state of the facility during an inspection before the closure, stating in a video that, “They slaughter animals, discharge waste into the public drainage system, and it’s just unacceptable.”

He also noted that some individuals were found sleeping in the market alongside animals, describing the situation as unsafe and unhygienic.

Following the shutdown, the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps removed illegal structures erected along drainage setbacks within the abattoir premises.

The ministry emphasised that it is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure improved hygiene and operational standards at the facility..