Malnutrition: Nigeria needs Food Nutrition Research Institute to save children, women, the aged – Prof Obatolu

By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan.
A Professor of Human Nutrition at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, Professor Veronica Obatolu on Tuesday said Nigeria need a Food Nutrition Research Institute to save under five children, women and the aged.
Professor Obatolu stated this while delivering the 294 Inaugural lecture of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.
The Don stressed that the establishment of a Food Nutrition Research Institute by the Federal Government will go a long way in tackling the prevalence rate of malnutrition among under-five children, women and the aged.
“The Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Nigeria should consider the establishment of a Food Nutrition Research Institute, being the only aspect of food system missing within the country’s agricultural research institutions, which should support the role of facilitating product development, assured product integrity and provide supporting research and regulatory activities,” she said.
She pointed out that the centre, when fully functional, would provide answers to the problems faced by those who are under-nutritioned or over-nutritioned as well as reduce minimally the number of 795 million people out of the 7.3 billion people worldwide without enough food to meet their minimum energy and nutrients.
According to the Professor of Human Nutrition, “it is important that more attention is paid to promoting policy actions that support proper nutrition among the populace”saying, “improper nutrition results into a vicious circle of malnutrition and poverty that could further lead to several adverse consequences”.
Professor Obatolu in the lecture titled “A Finger on the Pulse of Eating Well: Most Wonderful Cure and Preventative” maintained that government must promote proper nutrition among her citizens as failure to do so may result into malnutrition and poverty that could further lead to several adverse consequences.
She pointed out that nutrition plays an important role in promoting individual, national and global growth and development adding that “there is an urgent need for nations to update policy actions focused on the potential of nutrition inclusive agricultural development to improve livelihoods”.
The Professor of Human Nutrition said a number of factors are affecting government policies on food system in the country and that all efforts must be put in place to promote “policy actions that support nutrition-enhancing Agricultural Food Innovative System in revitalizing economic growth within the existence of agricultural potential of such nation.
“There may be no better time than now when oil from the petroleum sector is failing and agricultural activities are loading with prospects for the economic growth of Nigeria.
Speaking on the planned diversification of Nigeria economy, she emphasized the importance of diversifying under utilized legumes utilization food processing with focus on soybean for alleviating poverty-related under and over-malnutrition”.