By Banji Ayoola
A professor of Industrial Microbiology at the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, Prof Olakunle David Teniola, has called on the federal, state and local governments in Nigeria to give priority attention to the food industry to guarantee food security and smooth industrialisation.
Besides he advised government at the three levels to build industrial fermentation production organisations nationwide to create jobs for the teeming youths.
He gave these on Wednesday as part of his recommendations at the first inaugural lecture of the institution, which he delivered.
In the lecture entitled “Invisible soldiers and fermentation: Impact on food security and industrialisation”, Teniola also urged government to provide basic facilities including good communication, road and rail networks, regular power supply to ease production and distribution by fermented food producers.
He recommended among others that:
-Government should give special grants and technical support to industrial based research and academic institutions to upgrade traditional fermented food production methods;
-Financial grants and legal technical inputs should be made available nationwide to support fermented food producers with standard production facilities and technologies;
-Government should establish a research firm for packaging for upcoming food industries;
-Technology incubation centres should be set up nationwide to support fermented food producers with standard production facilities and technologies;
-Financial support and banking facilities should be made available to prospective fermented food producers and
-Standard quality assurance procedures including a hygienic environment should be adopted.
Teniola described microorganisms as the invisible soldiers which naturally exist as unicellular units and are normally invisible to the naked eyes, but can be mostly observed with the aid of a microscope, that work in nature in the decomposition or fermentation process.
He said that the actions of these invisible soldiers, which he categorised into four including bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoans, could be complementary and therefore useful to man as good soldiers; or detrimental to man’s existence in which case they are seen as enemies or bad soldiers.
In his own contribution, the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Roberts Sunday Ogunduyile, described the inaugural lecture as one of the best things that could happen to OAUSTECH in recent times.
He told The Radiance: “It is a lecture that informs the public that OAUSTECH has arrived when it comes to research activities and it is a period that OAUSTECH through the researcher, who gave today’s lecture, enlightened the public to know the importance of fermentation in foods. So it was a major research outcome.”
On how regular the inaugural lecture would be holding henceforth, he said: “The next one would come up in October. We are going to be having it quarterly; but as we are just starting, the next one would come up in October 2021.”
On the institution’s contributions to the nation’s economy, Ogunduyile said: “When you say contributions to the nation’s economy, it’s something that is very big. Even mere producing students who can contribute to the economy is our contribution to the economy. And this is just one of it.
“When our recommendations are made use of effectively, the economy would also have a boost from this. So we are contributing all over through our students, researches and relationship to the world at large.”
“I thank everybody who attended the lecture because being the first one we expected few people. But for the works that my men have put in place, we succeeded in attracting such a large crowd; and I believe that they would come the next time we are having another one.”
