Prof. Subuola Fasoyiro of the Food Technology Department, Institute of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria, has delivered the institution’s 372nd Inaugural lecture.

The lecture which took place at the Oduduwa Hall, OAU, Ile Ife, on Tuesday, 13th June, 2023, presented a significant milestone in her academic career, having in attendance dignitaries from all works of life.

The lecture was titled, 'The Hidden Treasure in Plants: for Food Security, Healthy and Wealthy Life.'

Speaking, Fasoyiro noted that there is need for strategic and intensive food processing as a panacea for hunger and food security has been explicated as a sure means to feed the nation to healthy and wealthy life.

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The Professor of food technology expressed her joy to the academic community for the opportunity to make known what she has discovered to reduce hunger, increase food processing and explore the untapped treasures in the plants in our environment that many are unaware of. "This is therefore a rare opportunity to tell people what we are doing in IART to reduce food insecurity in our nation and to help develop the economy from poverty to wealth." she said.

The inaugural lecturer said the application of food science principles to food process, preserve and making food available, accessible and better utilized play pivotal roles in the food science and technology in the sustainable development agenda that the world leaders have committed to eliminating poverty and hunger in the world.

She added that the necessity of tapping into food science and technology will help to create sustainable wealth through food processing which is the bedrock of poverty to job creation, and income to food availability. She opined that by exploiting hidden treasures in plant through food processing will avail in abundance nutrition, health and economic benefits for all.

Having researched in the past two decades focusing on post harvesting processing of food crops, the erudite professor said the huge task ahead of feeding the ever increasing population of Nigeria is a challenging issue. She therefore proposed that improving processing and utilization of food crops by improving the nutritional quality and value, food products development for low cost technology, natural food additive as preservatives, food safety, etc. She stressed that if the resources are well-designed and executed using sustainable Food Science and Technology, then to food insecurity, hunger and poverty can easily be addressed.

Prof Fasoyiro also advocated for funding to promote utilization of products from underutilized legumes growing in Nigeria for addressing protein- energy malnutrition. She also advocates for farm- to-food processing centres for especially maize and cassava value chains to minimize post- harvest losses, aid value addition, enhance productivity for farmers and processors and create job in agripreneurship for youths. She also advocate for sustainable food safety and surveillance policy to govern street- vended foods in reducing food hazards and the health risks.

She used the opportunity therefore to call on funding agencies to support youth empowerment in entrepreneurship to reduce rate of emigration of the youth from the country as future workforce.

She also emphasized the importance of good working conditions and state- of- art facilities in the Nigerian public universities and research institutions for quality delivery and reducing' brain drain'. She also encourage collaboration among universities, research institutions and the industries.

The food technologist also lamented on the issue of Nigerian youth saying ' schooling is a scam ' and advocates that school curriculum should encourage more of practical approaches to teaching, teachers acting more as facilitators in helping students in self- discovery, engagement in critical and creative thinking in contributing purposefully as graduates: as change agents to the society and to it's growth.

She emphasized the importance of good mentoring programs and exchange programmes.

The inaugural lecturer, while harping on the challenging threat of food security, also used the auspicious occasion to appreciate the Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, the principal staff officers and dignitaries present. She made a loud call to the academic community, policy makers and all stakeholders to use her first hand innovative research as an opportunity to look critically into quality food production so as to forestall the looming danger of hunger and it's attendant consequences.

She stress that small scale enterprises and industrialization are ways to drive the economy from poverty to growth, that the government need to seeks ways to reduce inflation rate, increase value of the Naira and security in the country to encourage local and foreign investors.

Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof, Adebayo Bamire commended the lecture as a distinct one, describing it as rewarding and pointing to where the nation should be focused to resolve the growing trend of hunger in the land.

Among the notable dignitaries that graced the occasion are Prof. Kehinde Taiwo of the Department of Food Engineering, OAU; Prof Lateef Taiwo of the Department of Soil Microbiology, OAU; Prof Veronica Obatolu, executive director, IART; Rev'd Dr Supo Ayokunle; Prof Adekoya Olatunde, Provost, Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Moore Plantation, Ibadan; Prof Akin Adeseyinwa of the Department of Animal Science and Production system, OAU; Prof Ayoade Ogunkunle; and Engr Olusina Fasoyiro, husband of the inaugural lecturer. etc. Also staff and students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife were present at the occasion.

Erudite Professor Subuola Fasoyiro is a professor of food scientist at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ibadan, Nigeria. In her pursuit to add to knowledge, she has presented scholarly articles on: Proximate, minerals and antinutritional factors of some underutilized grain legumes in south‐western Nigeria, minerals and antinutritional factors of some underutilized grain legumes in south‐western Nigeria; Chemical and Storability of Fruit-Flavoured (Hibiscus sabdariffa) Drinks; Chemical Composition and Sensory Quality of Fruit-Flavoured Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) Drinks; among many notable other research works.

She is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology and International Food Technology. Her inaugural research work focused on food processing, food preservation and food safety.