The Nigeria Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), FCT Chapter, has called on the Federal Government to leverage next-generation food science and technology to ensure food safety across the nation.
This appeal was made by Bola Osinowo, President and Chairman of the NIFST Governing Council, during the 11th Regional Food Summit and NIFST Day celebration held in Abuja on Thursday.
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The summit, themed “Next-Generation Food Science and Technology Solutions for Nation Building,” highlighted innovative approaches to addressing food security challenges.
“Food science provides solutions such as biofortification — developing crops that naturally contain higher levels of essential vitamins and minerals,” Osinowo said. “Imagine the impact of cassava enriched with Vitamin A or iron-fortified maize reaching the communities that need them most.”
“We can also leverage advanced food processing to fortify staple foods with essential nutrients, making healthy diets more accessible,” he said.
Osinowo said food was the foundation of life and the bedrock of national stability.
According to him, a nation’s development is intricately linked to its capacity to produce, distribute, and consume nutritious food efficiently.
He said historically, advances in food science -such as the Green Revolution – had transformed societies from hunger and malnutrition to abundance and prosperity.
“In Nigeria, a significant portion of our agricultural output is lost due to inadequate storage and processing.
“Next-generation solutions like novel preservation techniques, intelligent packaging that extends shelf life and efficient can address the challenge.
“Similarly, cold chain logistics, powered by Internet of Things (IoT), can drastically reduce this wastage, ensuring more food reaches our tables.
“Beyond just quantity, we must focus on nutritional security. Hidden hunger – the deficiency of essential micronutrients, affects millions and hinders national productivity,” he said.
The Director-General, National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRA), Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha said to fully harness innovations government and stakeholders should have dynamic curriculum on genomics, proteomics and nutrigenomics.
Mustapha who was represented by Director, Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, Mrs Shakirat Solebo, called for expanded access to innovation, grants, venture capital and improved Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).
He also emphasized the need to establish centres of excellence in agro-technology, specifically targeted at empowering youths and women.
Mustapha noted that the future of food security and economic development lies in sustainable innovations, which can be achieved through the adoption of biotechnology and digital agriculture.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Ifeanyichukwu Okeke, stressed that embracing innovative solutions is key to building more resilient and sustainable food systems.
Represented by Mrs. Uduak Udoso, Group Head of Healthcare Group Standardisation at SON, Okeke reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting innovative initiatives.
Established in 1976, NIFST provides professional support to individuals as well as public and private institutions in the food industry by advancing the development and application of food science and technology.
Oluchi
