Nike Sodipo
The Lagos State Government has taken giant steps towards revamping the process of selling red meat in the metropolis by ensuring proper hygiene before the product gets to the final consumers.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya disclosed this in Alausa at the launching of the last Mile Meat Shops and Butchers Academy.
She said the initiative was designed to give residents confidence in what they consume while also making it look presentable with standard facilities to encourage and attract youths into the space.
The essence of the initiative, the Commissioner noted, was for residents to embrace butchery and correct the erroneous impression that the profession is reserved only for the unenlightened.
“The 20-foot containers were designed as a pilot scheme for the initiative and can be easily transferred from one location to another”, she said.
She called for collaboration with the private sector to enlarge the scheme, noting that they have started with 20-foot containers and hope to increase it soon to 40ft.
Olusanya noted that the initiative was part of the Lagos State Agriculture Roadmap.
According to her, the overhauling in the transportation sector led to the introduction of Eko Meat Van which ended the era of conveying meat through unwholesome practices.
On his part, the Chairman, Lagos House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture, Hon Emmanuel Olotu commended the Ministry for introducing ideas that will bring food and comfort to the doorsteps of residents.
While urging the Butchers Association to ensure that they put into practice what they learned during training at the Butchers Academy, Olotu urged them to be wary of what they give Lagosians to consume.
In his remarks, Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Dr. Oluwarotimi Fashola described the initiative as a quality-control measure in the state to give value for money.
He assured that all the meat shops will sell in Kilograms by weight for uniformity purposes.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Emmanuel Audu described the event as groundbreaking, noting that issues around meat consumption are important for human existence.
He also disclosed that food safety cannot be overlooked, recalling that COVID-19 had its root in an animal market in China.
The initiative, he noted, was to assist in value chains in meat distribution as safety and quality are being addressed with the launch.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman, Lagos State Chapter of Butchers Association, Alhaji Kazeem Bakare thanked the government for initiating the project, describing it as innovative and ideal.
“We will embrace it wholeheartedly. Hopefully, it will bring back some of our members who have left the job”, he noted.
Bakare urged other States to embrace the innovation to restore sanity to the handling of meat among their residents.
The Last Mile Meat Shops are in the Ijeh area of Dolphin Estate, Surulere, and Mushin.
