Governor Agbu Kefas has entered into a strategic partnership with the World Bank through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project to upgrade the Jalingo Ultra-Modern Abattoir to full automation.

When completed, the facility, according to the state government and the National Coordinator of the L-PRES, Dr. Sanusi Abubakar, will become the first fully automated abattoir in Nigeria’s North-East region, marking a significant milestone in the modernisation of the livestock and meat processing sector.

According to them, the project is designed to improve hygiene standards, expand processing capacity, enhance efficiency along the livestock value chain, and create employment opportunities for residents.

They noted that it is also expected to boost food safety, attract private sector investment, and position the state as a regional hub for livestock production and meat processing.

Officials stated that the initiative aligns with the state government’s broader agenda of leveraging international development partnerships to stimulate economic growth, improve critical infrastructure, and enhance livelihoods within the livestock sector.

During an inspection of the facility in Jalingo on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Professor Nicolas Oliver Namessan, who was leading the national L-PRES team alongside the project consultant and under the National Coordinator, Dr. Sanusi Abubakar, said that Governor Kefas had appealed to the national leadership of L-PRES to do everything possible to ensure the successful realisation of the project.

Also speaking, the State L-PRES Coordinator, Mr. Hananiah Albert, assured that the State L-PRES team would work tirelessly and in close collaboration with the consultant, Abis Group, to deliver a fully remodelled and automated abattoir.

In his remarks, the National Coordinator of L-PRES, Dr. Sanusi Abubakar, said the Taraba State government’s decision, under Governor Kefas, to modernise the abattoir would benefit not only the people of the state but the country at large.

He disclosed that the project has already received anticipated approval from the World Bank, attributing the development to the governor’s commitment.

Responding to questions from journalists, the Founder and Chairman of Abis Group, Ambassador Emmanuel N. Usman, highlighted the company’s track record of automating abattoirs across the country and assured the people and government of Taraba State of a high-quality, fully automated slaughter facility upon completion.