Protein Deficiency: Expert calls for return to agriculture with priority on food production

LAGOS, Nigeria – The need for deliberate and well thought out policies aimed at making protein readily  available and affordable has been canvassed by experts to improve protein consumption rate in Nigeria.  

Already, the Nigerian Protein Deficiency Survey Report 2019 unveiled at the launch of the Nigerian Protein Awareness Campaign attributed major determinants of meals in Nigeria to affordability and  availability,

Speaking during the Protein Deficiency Awareness webinar on Nigeria’s Food Culture and the Challenge of Protein Deficiency, President Poultry Association of Nigeria, Mr. Ezekiel Ibrahim said Nigeria deteriorated in protein consumption as a result of poor government and poor planning. According to him, successive governments  have paid lip service to agriculture following the sudden discovery of crude oil. 

According to him, chicken remains the best source of animal protein and that unlike in the past when it would take 3 months to breed  the local chicken to the level where it will be ready for consumption, in just 4 weeks, a broiler could be ready for consumption.

 Besides, he pointed out that an egg is now sold for N50 which ought not to be due to the capital intensive nature of agriculture, exacerbated by a weak Naira against the US Dollar.

He explained that whereas agriculture is capital intensive, interest rates are way too high in Nigeria, compared to other countries.  To reverse the trend,  he canvassed for a return to agriculture with priority given to food production.  

Besides, he called for deliberate policy to encourage the youths to go into farming.  He also decried lack of data and planning anchored on assumptions.

“We cannot continue to assume that we are 200 million. We need reliable  and transparent data”, he said, adding that dishonesty is scaring away investors.

Earlier, the Keynote speaker, Dr. Omadeli Boyo, Medical Director, Pinecrest Special Hospital and public health expert took participants on a journey of meals Nigerians relish, providing distinction between a healthy diet and those that are not healthy, especially for people in their 40s and above.

He also addressed malnutrition in Nigeria, stressing that Iron Deficiency, (anaemia), Protein-energy malnutrition, vitamin A Deficiency and Iron deficiency remain the main concern, adding that the Nigerian government has advised dietary diversification as a way of dealing these deficiencies.  While commending the Federal Government’s school feeding initiative, advised that a national programme of school feeding for pupils could also assist in eradicating these deficiencies in children.

Speaking on culture change, breaking the ice, Dr. Boyo advocated for the need to sensitise communities taking into cognisance the knowledge, attitude and practices of the various ethnic groups; confronting communities with realities, the dangers and causes of malnutrition and awareness campaigns, regarding the benefits of meals rich in protein; stakeholders to buy-in( women, farmers, cooperatives,traditional institutions, religious organisations, town unions, labour unions, media/film industry, institutions of learning, etc) ; government at all levels, through policy enactment and mass mobilisation, through the National Orientation Agency(NOA), education/ educators and students from early childhood through universities.

As he puts it, protein can be either animal based or plant based. They include chicken, egg and red beef(meat-based protein) seen as luxury in most homes and avocado pear, beans, pawpaw, ewedu leaf, cashew nut, groundnuts and almonds( plant based protein).

He defined proteins as nutrients needed by the human body for growth and maintenance. “They are also used in membranes such as glycoprotein. When broken down into amino acid, they are used as precursors to nucleic acid,   coenzymes, hormones, immune response, cellular repairs, and other molecules essential for life. Additionally, protein is needed to form blood cells”, he noted.   

According to him, a  healthy diet is a well balanced diet that contains a variety of nutritious food, such as carbohydrate, protein, vegetable, fish, fruits, nuts and whole grains, prepared using the best cooking methods and eaten in the right proportion. For him, the problems with people eating beans has to do with too much boiling. He advised those who have pressure cookers to use it and desist from eating fried beans. 

He explained that the healthy diet is useful in prevention, controlling morbidity and premature mortality, resulting from non-communicable diseases. For healthy eating, Dr. Boyo advised eating a wide variety of food in a day,  limiting total fat, especially saturated fats, increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts, while limiting intake of free sugar and salt. He illustrated a balanced diet with the eat well plate, containing the items in the right proportion.

He equally delt on fruits and vegetables as well as their usefulness to the body, and moved on to roots and tubers as specialised vegetables, which he said is healthy in moderate amounts for diabetics.

He equally talked about grains, legumes and nuts before making a distinction between red meat and fish. He explained that fish is better than meat and that boiled meat is better than fried meat

In his remarks, Managing Director, CMRG, Mr. Lanre Fasakin spoke of plant based protein as a very good alternative since meat-based proteins have become  luxury items in the Nigerian menu.  

He specifically made mention of soyabean, which he identified as a very rich source of protein,  but a major ingredient in animal feeds.

Linda Nwaodu moderated the webinar, taking time to provide highlights of each of the discussions. 

In summarising the discussions, CEO of Mediacraft  Associates, Mr. John Ehiguese noted that improvement in the economy is necessary for availability and affordability protein in Nigeria.