Inside Kaduna’s cow horn market
For so many years, bone and horn business has remained a source of livelihood for many, including butchers and glass manufacturers.
Horn, which is a pointed projection of skin on the head of various animals, made up of a covering of keratin and other proteins surrounding the core of live bone, is said to be medicinal.
While butchers use the inner lining of the horn for medicinal purposes, glassware manufacturers use horn for the production of breakable tableware and glass bottles.
Horn is also used for the production of jewelry like ear rings, bangles, bracelets, finger rings, hair clips, belts, necklaces and chokers.
In some cases, cow horns are combined with brass to further beautify jewelry and make it durable and unique.
Although many people are not aware of the medicinal value of horn, butchers say it is a gift to mankind from God which they regard as a hidden treasure.
In many animals, only males have horns, which start to grow soon after birth and continue to grow throughout the life of the animal, except in pronghorns, which shed the outer layer annually, but retain the bony core.
Our correspondent who visited the Zango Abattoir in Tudun Wada, Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State, observed a heap of horns and how the butchers cook the horns to remove the soft tissue within.
A butcher explained that, “If the soft tissue is left inside for longer than necessary, it will start to decay, and that will have adverse effect on the horn.”
According to Dan Suleman Sabo, who is the leader of the butchers known as sarkin pawa, “Based on colour, there are three types of cattle horn: white, black and red.”
Explaining the process of removing the horns from the cow, Sabo said, “If a butcher removes the horn from the cow and begins to use it for drinking water, after a few days, worms will develop in the horn because of the inner lining.
“So, when the horn is removed from the animal, it is cooked in boiling water for some time after which the bone and other proteins are seperated; leaving the part of the horn which is used for glassware.”
He said depending on the colour of the horn, there were people or companies that wanted specific colours of the horn.
He said, “For instance, I know India is one of such countries that value horns because they also worship cows.”
He explained that, “People that need it will come and buy what they need - those companies that are into glass processing, as well as producers of livestock feed.”
Going down memory lane, he said, “Some 50 years ago, when there where white men in this country, it was a good business because when the white men were going back to their country, the horns were repaired and packaged as souvenirs for their people.
“Also, traditional barbers in the olden days used horns for their trade and they always wanted to have butchers in their families so that they could easily access horns. At times, the traditional barber will treat five to seven patients a day using horns to draw out bad blood.”
He said in the past during big Sallah, when a family slaughtered a ram for sacrifice, the horns were saved and used as protection for the family “as they are hung at the entrance of the house in order to chase away bad people.”
On how much the horns are sold, he said, “Anything that has to do with bones, horns and the likes are sold in tones; depending on the quantity.”
“The business is seasonal. From September to December, there is an influx of people from other countries looking for where to buy horns, and after that season, it would seem like when you throw them away, no one will take them.”
He stressed that government ought to do more for butchers, saying, “Just like the government gives loans to people who drill oil wells, butchers should be empowered every year because it is through our riches that oil was discovered in Nigeria.
“After farmers gave groundnut and cotton, the third thing that was exported at that time was animal skin. At that time, we used to go to school to learn the art of processing the skin because it would be taken abroad where it was used to make shoes and bags. Depending on how the skin is processed or decorated, the owner is paid in pounds.”
He, therefore, called on government to provide soft loans for butchers, saying, “Before, when our parents travelled with 100 pounds, they were able to buy 20 cows, but today, with N1m, you can only buy three cows and come back with the change because it is not enough to buy a fourth cow.”
When our correspondent enquired from the Manager of the Kaduna Dry Port, Rotimi Raimi, on the export of cow horns through the port, he said there was absolutely nothing like that at the Kaduna Dry Port.
He noted that people had been making enquiries on export of ginger which was in season now.
Raimi said, “We are going into the season of export for ginger and people have been making enquiries on how to go about it. If the rail lines were working, it would have been easier, but because of the construction they are doing at the Apapa entrance, it has had a negative impact on us.”
The market for cow horn and its byproducts is global, and with an estimated population of over 200 million people, Nigeria has a large, expanding and sustainable market for the product.