THE Federal Government has unveiled plans to transform the Wudil Livestock Market in Kano State into a world-class livestock trading hub and a reference point for modern livestock commerce in West Africa.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, disclosed this during an inspection tour of key livestock infrastructure in Kano State on Friday, saying the initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise Nigeria’s livestock value chain through improved market systems, industrial processing and value addition.

Maiha described the Wudil Livestock Market as a strategic national asset with significant commercial importance, noting that the facility handles an estimated 130 trucks of livestock every week, with each truck conveying at least 35 cattle.

According to him, the market is already one of the busiest livestock trading centres in Northern Nigeria and provides a solid foundation for its transformation into an international-standard facility.

He, however, observed that despite its economic significance, the market faces major infrastructural and environmental challenges, including poor sanitation, inadequate slaughtering facilities, the absence of loading bays, weak veterinary services and insufficient regulatory controls.

“Wudil is a strategic national asset; however, the environmental and operational gaps are significant. Our goal is to redesign this market and reposition it into a modern, permanent livestock exchange hub that operates daily and meets international standards,” the minister said.

Maiha explained that the reform would shift the focus of livestock trade from the sale of live animals to a value-added system driven by feedlots and modern abattoirs.

“On average, animals lose about 25 kilograms in transit. This is avoidable loss of value that we must eliminate,” he said.

He disclosed that the proposed upgrade would include structured animal pens, segregated holding areas for different species, veterinary quarantine and inspection units, administrative offices, banking facilities, security posts, hospitality services and organised commercial zones.

According to the minister, the entire market will be fully fenced and operated under a regulated entry and transaction system where livestock will be registered, weighed and tracked to improve transparency, accountability and revenue generation.

The Kano State Commissioner for Livestock Development, Dr. Aliyu Isa Aliyu, welcomed the initiative, describing it as timely and transformative.

He said the state government had already embraced the proposal and was committed to partnering with the Federal Government to develop Wudil into a model livestock market for Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

Aliyu added that the project aligns with Kano State’s agricultural modernisation agenda and is expected to improve livestock management, boost trade efficiency and increase internally generated revenue.

As part of his visit, the minister also inspected selected feedlots in Wudil and the Wudil Milk Collection Centre, where he held discussions with stakeholders on strengthening dairy aggregation systems and deepening integration across the livestock value chain.

Maiha further visited the Samal Integrated Farm, where the management briefed him on the company’s operations and discussed plans for future expansion and growth.

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