Developing an Original Risk-Based Meat Safety Inspection Framework for Nigerian Abattoirs: Theory, Validation, and Policy Application

This dissertation develops and validates an original risk-based meat safety inspection (RBMSI) framework tailored to the operational, regulatory, and epidemiological conditions of Nigerian abattoirs, providing a theoretically grounded and empirically validated alternative to the traditional organoleptic inspection model currently in use. Traditional meat inspection in Nigeria is based on post-mortem visual and palpation examination by trained inspectors and fails to detect microbiological contamination, chemical hazards, or hazards at levels below visual detection thresholds. The dissertation employs a five-phase methodology: systematic review of risk-based meat safety frameworks from the EU, New Zealand, and Codex Alimentarius; epidemiological characterisation of meat safety hazard profiles at 30 abattoirs across all six geopolitical zones; hazard ranking and risk scoring using expert elicitation and Monte Carlo simulation; framework design using a modified HACCP-RBMSI hybrid model; and empirical validation through controlled implementation at six pilot abattoirs. Primary data include 1,800 carcass microbiological samples, 300 chemical residue tests, and 1,200 ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection records. The dissertation proposes the Nigerian Abattoir Risk Inspection Protocol (NARIP) as an original theoretical and practical contribution. Validation shows 42 percent improvement in meat safety hazard detection compared to traditional inspection at pilot sites. Original contributions include the NARIP framework, the Nigeria-specific hazard prioritisation matrix, and a policy roadmap for NARIP national adoption. Keywords: risk-based meat inspection, food safety, abattoir, Nigeria, HACCP.