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ABIS Group has launched a digital marketplace aimed at tackling inefficiencies in Nigeria’s livestock and protein value chain, as it seeks to improve food safety, boost traceability, expand market access and position the country for meat exports.
The company said the platform would digitise the movement of livestock, meat, poultry and seafood from producers to consumers, while addressing long-standing challenges in processing, distribution and transparency across the sector.
Speaking at the official launch of the platform in Abuja recently, the Founder and Chairman of ABIS Group, Ambassador Emmanuel Nelson Usman, described the Digital Market Place as a transformative infrastructure for Nigeria’s livestock industry rather than just another technology application.
“It is the foundation of a safer, smarter, and more transparent protein ecosystem driving full-spectrum digitisation across the livestock value chain to deliver safe, ethically sourced, hygienically processed, and fully traceable animal protein to consumers while strengthening public health, food safety, market access, and producer prosperity,” he said. According to him, the platform represents “a new national infrastructure for trust, traceability, efficiency, and inclusion,” connecting producers, processors, distributors, retailers and consumers within a single technology-driven ecosystem that will redefine how Nigeria produces, trades and consumes animal protein.
ABIS also expressed concern over the poor condition of many abattoirs across the country, describing them as outdated, poorly maintained and operating under unhygienic conditions that pose serious risks to food safety and the livestock industry.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, represented by Dr. Abdulkareem Durosinlorun, commended the initiative, saying technology would make animal protein more accessible while improving transparency in the sector.
“People no longer have to go to the market physically; they can buy protein online. This brings significant development to the livestock sector. It creates new jobs, promotes transparency, and allows buyers to see exactly what they are purchasing. It also improves traceability, ensuring that what people receive meets their expectations. Overall, this is a very important development,” he said.
The minister disclosed that the Federal Government is developing policies to support livestock production by improving access to quality breeding stock and animal feed.
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“In addition, policies are being put in place to enable Nigerians involved in livestock production to export their animals in the near future,” he added.
Also speaking, ABIS Co-founder, Dr. Iliyasu Gashinbaki, said the company plans to leverage the platform to transform how livestock products are bought, sold and distributed across Nigeria while opening up new opportunities for producers and businesses.
“We have already established an export-ready processing facility supported by a modern laboratory. We are optimistic that before the end of the year, Nigeria will be well-positioned to export, particularly to countries within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. At that stage, the digital platform will be expanded to accommodate international markets.
“Before doing so, we want to ensure that every regulatory requirement is met, including food safety standards, disease control regulations, certification processes, and all other relevant compliance requirements. Once these are fully in place, we will officially open the platform to international trade,” Gashinbaki said.
Nigeria’s livestock sector is estimated to be worth about N33 trillion but contributes less than three per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product due to weak processing capacity, poor distribution networks and limited market access.
ABIS said its Digital Market Place is designed to bridge these gaps by linking industrial-scale processing facilities directly with consumers through technology. The company currently has the capacity to process 220 cattle, 3,000 poultry birds and 500 tonnes of fish daily in Lagos, with additional facilities under development in Abuja, Plateau and Edo states.
The firm said the initiative is expected to strengthen food security, improve consumer confidence in protein products, create jobs and support Nigeria’s ambition to expand meat exports, including opportunities arising from the proposed Nigeria-Saudi Arabia $2 billion meat export deal.
