By Olasunkanmi Onifade

The Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) Abuja Chapter has called for stakeholder support for government policies in research and innovation to ensure a favorable regulatory environment for the food industry.

Prof. Joseph Abu, President of NIFST, made this appeal during the 10th Regional Food Science and Technology Summit (ReFOST) and NIFST Day celebration on Wednesday in Abuja.

The summit’s theme was “The Role of Food Science and Technology Professionals in the Sustainability and Security of Food with High Nutritional Benefits to Man.”

Abu highlighted that despite Nigeria’s abundant natural resources and rich agricultural heritage, the country still struggles to ensure every citizen has access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food.

He emphasised that food security and nutritional wellbeing are fundamental human rights and crucial for sustainable development.

“This partly explains why the role of food scientists and technologists is indispensable.

“We can still achieve together with other stakeholders in our collective quest to bring all forms of hunger to an end in this country and beyond,’’ Abu said.

He emphasised that through research development and deployment of existing and new technologies, food professionals must strive to enhance the nutritional profile of foods.

He added that foods professionals must scale up relevant innovations that would make food nutritious more accessible to every segment of the population.

“As the challenges we face in achieving sustainable food and nutrition security are complex and interwoven, fostering collaboration among stakeholders is essential.

“In addition, government policies must support research and Innovation, provide incentives for sustainable practices and ensure a favorable regulatory environment for the food industry,” Abu said.

He, however, said academic institutions and research organisations must continue to lead scientific research, development and innovation, providing the knowledge and tools needed to address current and future challenges.

Abu said that private partners sector, including food producers, processors and retailers should play the critical role of bringing innovations to the market and ensuring their widespread adoption.

He said NIFST remained committed to supporting educational initiatives, professional development programmes, and research endeavors that empowered members, adding that capacity building was also important.

Abu, who said investing in the education and training of the youths was necessary, added that the country was preparing the next generation of food scientists and technologists as well as entrepreneurs who would move the food industry forward.

The Director General, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Mrs Agnes Asagbra, said some of the challenges of food security includes; climate change impact, erratic rainfall patterns, increased frequency of droughts, and land degradation.

Asagbra represented by an Assistant Director from the Agency, Mrs Blessing Aligwekwe, said millions of metric tons of food were lost or wasted in Sub-Saharan African each year.

The Director General of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr Ifeanyi Okeke, said food safety was paramount that directly impacted the health and wellbeing of individuals across the country

Okeke represented by the Principal Standard Officer of SON, Mrs Chiamaka Anyagwa, urged all Food Science and Technology professionals to uphold the highest standards of quality, safety and sustainability in production and distribution of food products.

The FCT Chapter Chairman, Mrs Promise Ogbonna, said the food summit was organised annually for the celebration of the birth of NIFST by deliberating on vital and current issues that affected food safety, food security, advancement in food science and technology.

She said the chapter had engaged in sensitisation campaigns at market places and abattoirs.

“Our food safety approaches must be measured by evaluating our processes, products, ingredients, packaging materials, processing aids and product contact surfaces, using eye of identifying potential hazards and putting action in place to eliminate them,” she said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo and Abiemwense Moru

By Salif Atojoko

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in Abuja called on international development financiers to see Africa as a destination for growth and prosperity.

The President made the call at a meeting with a delegation of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), led by its Managing Director, Mr Makhtar Diop.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports IFC is a member of the world Bank Group and the largest global development institution that focuses, exclusively, on the private sector.

Tinubu urged the corporation to consider more strategic investments in agriculture, infrastructure, research, and development on the continent.

“The IFC and the World Bank need to see Africa differently. I am glad an African is at the helm of affairs at IFC, and as an African, understands that the potential for growth, peace, stability and prosperity is here.

“The world has to see us as a continent that can help the rest of the world, and not perceive us as backwards, unstable and with leadership problems.

“The expectations of the rest of the world on Africa have to change.

“They must see Africa as a potential opportunity and not a danger to the rest of the free world, so that we can stimulate growth and propel inclusiveness,” he said.

The President added: “You are at the helm now and in a position to change the perception. We are ready to change the narrative and work with you. Africa is open for business, regardless of whatever the perception may be.

“I am an African and proud to be and will maintain the strong position to collaborate with the rest of the world to see Africa as a destination for growth and prosperity.”

Tinubu acknowledged that Nigeria held the second-largest IFC portfolio in Africa with an active investment portfolio of 2.1 billion dollars as of April 2024.

He also highlighted the importance of some critical infrastructure projects embarked upon by his administration, such as the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Expressway.

“We have made various attempts in the past to create dams, but issues with reticulation and irrigation remain.

“When we consider the living conditions in rural areas where crops are produced, how much funding is allocated for rural roads to expedite transportation to consumer centres?

“The goal of the coastal road and the Sokoto-Badagry Highway is to address this,” the President said.

In his remarks, Diop informed the President that during his working visit to Nigeria, the IFC had engaged in productive discussions with Nigerian partners to enhance agriculture, increase food production through irrigation farming, upgrade transport networks, and bolster regional integration.

He announced that IFC had signed a 23.3 million dollar loan agreement with Johnvents Industries Limited, a leading agribusiness for economic development and agricultural transformation company, to develop the cocoa sector.

“We are supporting small and medium enterprises in the agricultural sector, and they are doing very interesting things. 

“We need to bring in more big players into food production in the country,” Diop said.

He added that the Corporation was ready to partner the Nigerian government on new investments in irrigation, road infrastructure, and logistics around the airport under a Public Private Partnership.

Diop congratulated President Tinubu on his one year in office and commended his bold decisions to revamp Africa’s largest economy.

He pledged IFC’s commitment to long-term investment in Nigeria, adding that its single largest investment in Africa was in Nigeria, where it had invested 1.2 billion dollars in the fertiliser industry.

“We are here to support you. The world has been facing a lot of shocks and difficult situations which have affected many African economies,” Diop said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi 

By Kingsley Okoye

The Senate has mandated the Committee on Solid Minerals to investigate the cause of a rockslide in Farin Doki community, Shiroro Local Government of Niger.

The rockslide buried 30 informal miners alive in a gold mining site.

This followed the adoption of a motion at plenary on Thursday in Abuja on an “urgent need to address incident of the rockslide.”

The motion was sponsored by Sen. Mohammed Sani (APC-Niger East).

Sani said that on June 3, a catastrophic rockslide occurred at an open pit gold mine, resulting in 30 local informal miners being buried alive in the Farin Doki Community.

He said that the site was near Erena in Shiroro Local Government, Niger East Senatorial District.

Sani said the miners, in their quests for gold and lithium minerals, met their untimely death as the avalanche caved in; burying them under tons of rubbles.

He said the tragic incident underscored the urgent need for a holistic action to be taken to address the dangers faced and posed by local mining activities across the country.

Sani said it was imperative to secure the mining sites to forestall future occurrence and avoid further loss of life.

“This will go a long way to ensure that mining activities are conducted safely and legally to prevent future tragedies and improve the overall well- being of miners across the country,” he said.

He expressed worry that bodies of the deceased had yet to be recovered for proper burial by their respective families.

According to Sani, conscious efforts should be made by relevant agencies of government for the recovery of the bodies for burial.

He said given that Nigeria was desirous of diversifying its economy, adding that the mining sub-sector was lucrative enough and should be adequately exploited for the socio-economic development of the country.

“As such, the appropriate authorities should as a matter of urgency and necessity, initiate thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident so as to identify any existing lapses.

“As part of remedies to bring sanity to the system, strict regulations should be introduced in order to protect the lives of those who depend on this industry for their livelihood.

“It is also apt for relevant committees of the National Assembly to step up their oversight of mining activities across the country for the purpose of harnessing the benefits that abound in the sector,’’ he said.

The Senate, after observing a minute silence in honour of the victims, commended the Minister of Solid Minerals, Mr Dele Alake, for his swift response in monitoring the situation.

The Senate also urged the Federal Government to come out with strict safety measures and regulation on mining activities in Nigeria in line with international best practices.

The Senate also called for deployment of adequate security apparatus to the mining communities to maintain vigilance around mining areas to prevent further incursions and intrusion by informal miners.

It urged the National Emergency Management Agency and other relevant agencies of government to expedite actions on the recovery of the remains of the deceased in the catastrophe.

According to the upper chamber, such recovery will ensure that the bereaved families have final closure on their loved ones.

The Senate also urged the committee to accelerate the passage of the Mine Ranger Bill currently before the Senate. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Dorcas Jonah and Chijioke Okoronkwo