In a recent development, the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), Western Chapter, has expressed concern about the growing preference for imported foreign foods among Nigerians, neglecting indigenous and organic options available.
This concern was raised in a communique issued at the conclusion of the 2023 Regional Food Science and Technology Summit (ReFoSTS) held in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The findings were made public and shared with Media Talk Africa on Monday.
During the summit, themed “Indigenous Foods for Global Markets: Innovation, Safety and Entrepreneurship,” experts highlighted the potential for Nigeria’s indigenous foods to gain global recognition. However, they emphasized the need for innovation to ensure the survival and popularity of these native foods.
In a communique signed by the Chairman of the NIFST Western Chapter, Dr. Ganiyat Olatunde, and the Secretary, Michael Oyelakin, it was noted that there are several challenges hindering the global recognition of indigenous foods, which need to be addressed.
The communique highlighted the worrying shift in eating patterns, stating that “there has been a shift in the eating pattern of people over the years, particularly, from indigenous food consumption to imported ones.”
As a result, the Summit recommended encouraging the consumption of indigenous food commodities at various household levels.
Furthermore, the experts highlighted the lack of documented information regarding the processing procedures and other related details of many indigenous foods specific to diverse tribes and regions in Nigeria.
Consequently, the Summit recommended the development of an inventory that encompasses all indigenous foods found in the country.
The lack of modern tools in institutions and research institutes was also addressed by the experts, who called on the government to provide adequate funding to support researchers in generating reliable data on the quality characteristics and safety of indigenous foods.
The communique further stated, “The Summit recommended that our various indigenous foods be standardized in terms of processing procedures, quality characteristics, and safety indices.
“The current status of sales/hawking of our indigenous foods, as well as the marketing environment, is below acceptable standard as our local markets lack basic infrastructural facilities/amenities such as public toilets, pipe-borne water, and good storage structures.
“Therefore, the Summit suggests that all tiers of government (federal, state, and local), Agricultural and Health Ministries become involved in strengthening indigenous food production, promotion, safety, and marketing.”
