THE Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) has urged the federal government to sustain and promote the Nigerian Quality Infrastructure Project (NQIP), so as to enhance food quality and safety for the benefits of Nigerians.
This is coming just as the Vice Chancellor of the Federal Univeristy of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Professor Kolawole Salako, emphasized the need for government to provide the enabling environment for researchers and scientists to develop more ideas on food science and technology.
Salako noted that countries that depended too much on importation of food might run into crises if necessary steps are not taken.
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The NIFST’s National President, Dr. Dahiru Adamu, at the opening of the 42nd Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Institute, held in Abeokuta, on Tuesday, explained that the funding of the NQIP by the European Union (EU) had been wounded up.
Adamu said the sustainability of the project would, no doubt, reduce the occurrences of food and water-borne illnesses.
“It is not secret, funding by EU has come to an end. As we are all aware, food safety is a component of food quality, thus it is not a destination but a journey.
“I strongly and passionately urge and plead with the Federal Government to do whatever it can to intervene and ensure NQIP is kept alive and functions,” he added.
Salako advised the government to show strong political will to discourage importation of food so as to grow the economy.
“Why are we still spending so much on importation of wheat despite the breakthrough recorded with Cassava bread? Why should we continue to view anything produced locally as not being good? Can’t we produce enough rice in Nigeria? One of our major problems no doubt is lack of political will which I think the government should look into.
” I get angry sometimes when I hear that our scientists, researchers have been doing nothing because right in our university, we have developed odourless Fufu that is now popular all over the country, we have FUNAAB palm wine, honey, garri and recently we registered Alpha breed chicks, first improved indigenous chicken breed. So we are doing our bit to achieve food security but we need the right environment to thrive,” he added.