The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has commenced a national capacity-building programme for Quality Assurance Assessors in the North-West geopolitical zone to strengthen livestock standards and improve food safety across Nigeria.
The initiative is also aimed at boosting the competitiveness of Nigeria’s livestock value chains in both domestic and international markets.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by the Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Mrs Henrietta Okokon, participants were drawn from Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Jigawa, and Zamfara States.
The Director of Quality Assurance and Certification in the ministry, Dr Nurallah Abubakar, said quality assurance remains critical in a highly competitive global livestock market.
He explained that the credibility of livestock products depends largely on the competence and integrity of assessors responsible for enforcing standards.
Abubakar described the training as the second phase of the ministry’s capacity-building programme, focused on strengthening quality assurance systems, food safety compliance, traceability mechanisms, and regulatory standards across the livestock sector.
He added that the programme is designed to equip participants with technical knowledge, practical skills, and standardised tools needed for consistent and evidence-based assessment across livestock value chains.
According to him, quality assurance assessors play a key role in ensuring regulatory compliance and improving practices among producers and processors, thereby boosting consumer confidence, expanding market access, and increasing productivity.
He urged participants to uphold professionalism, impartiality, integrity, and confidentiality.
Also speaking, the Director of Veterinary and Livestock Services in Kaduna State, Dr Pakachi Zakariya, described the training as timely, noting that it addresses gaps in quality control, food safety, and regulatory compliance within the livestock sector.
He raised concerns about public health risks linked to poor hygiene in the processing and transportation of livestock and dairy products in some parts of the country.
Zakariya stressed that stronger quality assurance systems are essential for protecting consumers and building market confidence, adding that ongoing reforms will only succeed with a solid regulatory framework.
Similarly, Dr Sani Bello, representative of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) in Kaduna State, said quality assurance is key to improving productivity, reducing post-production losses, and enhancing the global competitiveness of Nigerian livestock products.
Source: NAN
