Nigeria, fifth world hunger prone nation – FIIRO DG

By Agency reporter


The Director-General, Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Lagos, Dr. Oluwole Olatunji, has said that Nigeria is the fifth on the hunger index rating in the world and the nineth largest population in the world with a very high level of poverty.






He said food crisis could be the worst crisis to hit human kind because it would be worse than any epidemic ever imagined.

Olatunji warned that the Nigerian situation could be worse than that of other nations of the world if not timely and properly addressed.

He, therefore, enjoined the Federal Government to establish more food storage facilities in the country to reduce post harvest losses and reduce soaring food prices.

He lamented that the nation’s food storage capacity was low, resulting in post harvest loss of above 30 per cent of national agricultural outputs.

Olatunji advised that greater focus and investment should be directed towards agriculture to avoid food crisis.

He spoke during the FIIRO Technological Open-Day 2008, entitled, “Food Security Issue in Nigeria: FIIRO’s Relevance.”

He said the institute had developed over 30 commercialised food processing technologies based on available local agro-commodities.

He added that FIIRO had invented technologies that had improved fish and meat processing, weaning food processing, baking products, local drinks, cereals and legumes processing, roots and tubers, edible oils, fruits and cassava products processing among others

Olatunji said, “The global food crisis is already having a devastating effect on the Nigerian food supply situation, considering the current high cost of food items in Nigerian markets.

“Food experts are of the opinion that Nigerian 300,000- tonne strategic reserves is too low compared with Food and Agricultural Organisation’s recommendation that every country should have at least 20kilograms per person for three months at any point in time. This implies that in real terms, Nigeria, with 140 million people should have at least 2.8million tonnes reserves at any point in time.”

The FIIRO DG, advised that there should be transparency, efficient and honest management of government’s intervention programmes to ensure food sustainability.

He also called for a more strategic approach to developing a national food security programme towards food self sufficiency.

He said, “In developing countries, particularly, South of the Sahara desert, where more than 800 million people still suffer from chronic under-nutrition, huge investments are needed in agriculture, rural infrastructure, water control, food processing and support services, if the current level of malnutrition ravaging our continent must be halted.

“To achieve this, agriculture investments in these countries would need to increase by almost 25 per cent above the present level.”


http://odili.net/news/source/2008/oct/8/402.html

News!!!

You mean this people just figured this out?
That means they are dumber than dumb