The Director of the Food Technology Department at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Dr Bolanle Oluwole, has expressed confidence in the institute’s ability to address the issue of food insecurity in the nation.
In an interview on Tuesday in Lagos, Oluwole said that FIIRO has the capacity for effective food processing and preservation solutions in Nigeria.
She emphasized that the current challenges of inadequate food supply and high costs could be alleviated through leveraging FIIRO’s capabilities.
“Since the minister’s visit recently, he has seen what FIIRO can offer, the potential of FIIRO and the current and future potentials of institute.
“I am sure he is more than convinced of what FIIRO can do to solve the problems in the country.
“He went to the pilot plant, he saw the cassava processing plant and Nigeria being the highest producer of cassava in the world, we can readily leverage this particular technology.
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“They disseminate to the various cassava-producing states in the country, thereby enhancing job creation opportunities and currently, we have food insecurity problem in the country,” she said.
Oluwole noted that the capacity of FIIRO was in line with the agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
She disclosed that the institute had been able to develop ready-to-use therapeutic food with two different variants and had also carried out the laboratory analysis of these products conforming to international standards.
“The agenda of President Bola Tinubu is to resolve the food crisis in the country, going into a project like this which the country needs.
“We have the Cassava processing project into various products such as high-quality cassava flour, fufu and other products from cassava.
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“This will actually go a long way in minimising hunger and minimising food insecurity in the country.
“During his visit, the minister also went to the dome and saw different products in the exhibition dome, one of the products he saw was a sport drink.
“We have a high incidence of severe and acute malnutrition in the country. We do not need to import ready-to-use therapeutic food or the raw materials that are used to produce the ready-to-use therapeutic food,” she added.
NAN
