The Federal Government has disclosed that it is developing an animal identification and traceability system aimed at opening international markets to Nigeria’s red meat industry and other animal protein products.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, made this known at the launch of the ABIS Digital Marketplace in Abuja, where he also commended the company for introducing a technology-driven platform to modernise the country’s livestock and protein supply chain.

Represented by Abdulkareem Durosinlorun, the minister said the identification and traceability system would make it easier for Nigerian livestock products to meet international export standards once fully implemented.

He also revealed that the Federal Government is formulating policies to improve access to quality breeding stock and animal feed for livestock producers as part of broader efforts to strengthen the sector.

Maiha described the ABIS Digital Marketplace as a significant innovation that would enhance transparency, create employment opportunities and improve access to protein by allowing consumers to purchase livestock products online without visiting physical markets.

According to him, the digital platform enables buyers to view exactly what they are purchasing while promoting efficiency and accountability across the livestock value chain.

Earlier, the Co-founder of ABIS Group, Iliyasu Gashinbaki, said the company had built an integrated agribusiness and livestock ecosystem anchored on quality, innovation and long-term investment.

He disclosed that the company’s Lagos processing hub currently processes 220 cattle and 3,000 poultry birds daily, while its Abuja Mega Livestock Processing Facility, expected to be commissioned soon, has the capacity to process 1,000 cattle, 3,000 small ruminants and 600 tonnes of poultry each day.

Gashinbaki added that the company is also developing ultra-modern processing hubs in Plateau, Sokoto and Edo states, with capacities ranging from 200 to 500 cattle, 500 to 1,000 small ruminants and 400 tonnes of poultry daily.

He said the expansion would position ABIS Group as the largest integrated livestock processing conglomerate in Africa.

According to him, the newly launched ABIS Digital Marketplace is designed to address long-standing inefficiencies in Nigeria’s livestock, meat, poultry and seafood markets by leveraging technology to improve the country’s protein supply chain.

Also speaking, the Founder and Chairman of ABIS Group, Emmanuel Nelson Usman, described the digital marketplace as a national platform that would enhance trust, traceability, efficiency and inclusion across the livestock value chain.

He said the platform connects producers, processors, distributors, retailers and consumers within a technology-driven ecosystem that promotes food safety, public health, market access and sustainable prosperity for stakeholders in the livestock industry.