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By Olasunkanmi Onifade
The Director-General, Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), Prof. Paul Onyenekwe, has called on stakeholders to invest more in new processing and packaging technologies to boost Agricultural production and socioeconomic development.
Onyenekwe made the call at the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) FCT chapter, food summit (ReFoST) and NIFST Day celebration in Abuja.
The theme of the Day is ‘Positioning Nigerian foods for global trade through sustainable safe standards, innovative processing and supply’.
“We have to invest in the entire food chain and we have a lot of food but it does not get to the table and alot is being wasted.
” If our agricultural produce can go through a lot processing and value is beng added to it, and the use of new technologies is applied, it will reduce pesticides and reduce the problem we are having now,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs Monilola Udoh, said to position Nigeria for global trade, there was need to focus on the marketing opportunities.
According to her, there is also the need to improve the quality of food products and develop a strong brand identity to differentiate the country from other competitors.
Udoh, who was represented by the Chief Scientific Officer of the Ministry, Mrs Oluwatoyin Jegede, said there was need for more concerted efforts among stakeholders through the relevant ministries and agencies of food producers, markets and distributors.
The Director General of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mallam Farouk Salam, said food safety concerned all and standardisation of both food and food systems was the only way to achieve safety for better positioning in global trade.
Foarouk who was represented by the Deputy Director, Head Food Group /Codex of SON, Mrs Fyne Uwemedimo, said SON was available to provide all the guidance needed to standardise products and systems.
” Thus let us continue to partner together please. When you receive draft standards for inputs, kindly oblige us your time and make inputs so that concerns that pertains to Nigeria can always be covered in the
International standards so that trade of food products from Nigeria can be more globally
accepted.
“To the Food Business Operators, they should be conscious of food safety cultures because even science has it culture, If you have to be in the food business, you need to understand the rudiments of food safety and let food safety be the norm in your businesses,” he said.
The Chairperson of NIFST FCT Chapter, Mrs Promise Ogbonna, said the food summit was organised annually for the the celebration of the birth of NIFST and to deliberate on vital and current issues that affected food safety and advancement.
” This year’s theme is apt, considering the rising cases of food rejection and its attendant economic consequences, even as it aligns with the World Food Safety theme for 2023:”Food Standards save lives”.
” The message that is being passed is that food standards protect consumer, help producers and that science underpins food standards as it’s the key to sound food safety management.”
She also said there was no food security without food safety as it had direct impact on health and economy at the long run.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NIFST is a registered non profit making body representing food professionals drawn from academia , industry, government and research organisations in Nigeria.
(NAN)
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