Specialist seeks govt intervention on locust beans production

A member of America  Chemical Society, Ademilua Adebola has called on Nigeria to focus more on high quality production of locust beans in order to stop the importation of some raw materials’ that can be locally substituted for using locust beans.

Adebola gave the advice while speaking to journalists in Ibadan on the economic and health importance of locust beans.

She said locust beans could generate enough income for the country if necessary steps are taking by both state and federal governments to enhance and modernise the production of locust beans, stressing that “this is the right time for Nigeria to diversify its economy into agriculture.

“Locust beans is one of the crops that should be considered because Nigeria is a global leader in its production; the country needs to increase its production.”

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Adebola, who is also a member of Women in Forestry of FRIN advised the Federal Government to assist in the production of locust beans “because of its added value and its high demand for both nutrition and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders like ulcer and diarrhoea.”

Adebola, a chemist and medical science educator, said it is high time the country improved and invested in the production of locust beans in order to stop the importation of tocopherol which can be got abundantly from locust beans.

Speaking on economic importance of locust beans, Adebola said with enough quantity of locust beans which can be substituted for imported tocopherol, it would enhance and improve Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) as well as creating employment opportunities.

According to her, “to work along the value chain from production to market, one has to consider productivity and adding values.

While speaking on health importance of locust beans, Adebola said with proper consumption, locust beans can cure hypertension, diabetes, ulcer and diarrhoea.

According to her, “locust beans is effective in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders like ulcer and diarrhoea.”