Assessment of Meat Inspection Capacity and Infrastructure at Abuja Metropolitan Abattoir, Federal Capital Territory

This study provides a professional capacity assessment of meat inspection systems and infrastructure at the Abuja metropolitan abattoir in the Federal Capital Territory, located in the North Central geopolitical zone. As Nigeria's seat of government and a rapidly growing urban centre, Abuja's abattoir serves a large consumer population and its meat safety performance has broad implications for public health governance. Using a professional audit design, the study assessed physical infrastructure, staffing establishment, inspection protocols, equipment, laboratory support, and waste management over a six-month observation period. Sixty meat inspection records were randomly selected and reviewed for documentation quality. Key informant interviews were conducted with 20 veterinary inspection officers and abattoir management personnel. Bacteriological analysis of 150 carcass swabs provided objective hygiene data. Findings revealed that the abattoir operates at 180 percent of its designed throughput capacity due to the absence of alternative facilities in the FCT. The veterinary officer-to-throughput ratio exceeded recommended standards by 2.5 times. Histopathological laboratory support for confirmatory diagnoses was unavailable on-site. Bacteriological analysis revealed 68 percent of swabs exceeding Codex allowable limits for Enterobacteriaceae. Comprehensive ante-mortem procedures were conducted for only 55 percent of animals. The study recommends urgent infrastructure expansion, recruitment of additional veterinary staff, laboratory commissioning, and introduction of digital inspection records as priority interventions. Keywords: meat inspection, abattoir capacity, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, food safety.