Nigeria has continued to lag behind its peers in terms of per capita protein consumption owing to its high rate of low-income earners, poor nutritional knowledge, and insufficient availability of protein-rich foods, experts say.
The experts who spoke at the just concluded African Exchange Trade webinar organised by the US Soybean Export Council (USSEC), US Grains Council, and the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) say Nigeria requires more protein-rich foods to nourish its fast-growing population.
They explained that the country is challenged with high protein deficiency which results in malnutrition and other health hazards such as stunted growth and underweight.
“Nigeria lacks behind in its per capita protein consumption even among its African peers. For chicken, Nigeria per capita consumption is 1.9 kg whereas in Ghana it is 7kg, South Africa is 32 kilograms and US is 49 kg,” said John Coumantaros, chairman- board of directors, Flour Mills of Nigeria.
“An average Nigerian consumes only 5.9kg of meat yearly whereas in Ghana it’s 9.3 kg, South Africa it is 50kg and 100kg in the US,” Coumantaros said.
He stated that the poultry and fish sector is the greatest source of protein for Nigerians, saying that building the country’s protein supply chain is very critical for increasing consumption.
He attributed the low rate of protein in the country to a combination of factors such as poor income, knowledge gap, and unavailability.
He says Africa’s most populous nation can only grow more crops rich in protein for its fast-rising population when it increases its yields per hectare and ensure raw materials for industries are produced abundantly.
He said the Nigerian government must ensure policy consistency and good infrastructure to drive investment in the feed industry.
According to him, agriculture linked with industry is critical for the future of Nigeria and that is where there are opportunities for investments in the value chains.
“The link between agriculture and industry is very critical. It will be the core foundation for growth and there is a need to build value chains internally,” he said.
He said the Asian countries grew their economies and developed through agro-industrialization – a strategy he urged the country to emulate to develop.
He says Nigeria must be at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution to drive growth, enhance food security, and earn foreign exchange.
“Technology is key to the future of Nigeria. Nigeria has a young population, fantastic entrepreneurial minds that are creative and industrious,” Coumantaros said.
Speaking on the African Continental Free Trade (AfCFTA), he says Nigeria’s products must be competitive enough for the country to benefit from the trade agreement with is to commence next year.
“We need to grow our internal seed capacity, improve farmers’ agronomy practices, improve aggregation and develop rail and road infrastructure to facilitate better agric logistics,” he said.
In his presentation on the outlook for African Feed Industry Growth, Andrew Muhammad, professor of Agriculture, University of Tennessee said the overall growth in livestock production since 1992 has grown by 2.8percent averagely per annum on the continent.
Muhammad notes that corn feed use in Sub-Saharan Africa will increase by 19percent by 2023 while soybean and soymeal feed will increase by 59 and 35percent respectively, a projection he attributed to the USDA.
“There is a clear opportunity demand of increased feed in the region,” he said.
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