The Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) has called for stronger enforcement of food safety regulations, including arrests where necessary. NIFST President, Dr. Biodun Osinowo, made the call at a breakfast meeting with members of the Association of Nigerian Journalists and Writers of Tourism (ANJET) on Tuesday in Lagos.
The meeting was organised by ANJET to discuss food safety, public awareness, regulation, the potential of Nigerian food as a tourism product, the 50th anniversary celebration of the institute holding next week, from October 12 to 15. “When you educate, you also need to enforce,” Osinowo said.He stressed that awareness must be backed by action when unsafe practices persist. He urged government, NAFDAC and other regulatory agencies to strengthen awareness and enforcement, while supporting measures to improve regulatory capacity.
According to Osinowo, NAFDAC’s Director-General had told him the agency needed a minimum of 20,000 workers but had about 2,000. He called for stronger government support for regulatory agencies and greater involvement of local government food inspectors at the grassroots. Osinowo said NIFST’s Food Safety Committee educates market women on basic hygiene, food preservation and avoiding harmful chemicals.
NIFST Public Relations Officer, Olutaller Akinwole, said awareness remained critical because many food sellers were unaware of the implications of unsafe practices. “Awareness is a very critical thing,” he said. He added that NIFST Academy was open to collaboration with local governments, agencies and associations. He said such partnerships could help train food handlers and improve their understanding of safe practices.
NIFST National Secretary, Rasaq Oke, called for collaboration with NAFDAC and other relevant agencies to educate people involved in unsafe practices.“Food safety is everybody’s responsibility,” he said, He said the issue required a collective responsibility requiring cooperation among stakeholders.
Also, Taiwo Ubani, Local Organising Committee (LOC) Chairman of the 50th anniversarycelebration, emphasised awareness, saying many people were unaware of unsafe practices and their implications.
Sunday Bamgbose, former Chairman, NIFST Lagos Chapter, linked food safety to Nigeria’s tourism ambitions and the promotion of local cuisine: “I can see the potential of tourism in Nigeria if we put our act together,” he said. He said Nigeria had diverse foods that could be showcased internationally, while food safety remained important to visitors’ experience. Bamgbose recalled that the Lagos Chapter had worked with street food vendors, educating them on safety practices and providing personal protective equipment.He said partnerships could help expand such efforts despite limited resources and strengthen the connection between food safety and tourism.“If we do this, I believe we start talking of, just as we talk of Chinese food, we start talking of Nigerian food in a very short time,” Bamgbose said.
Earlier, Osinowo said NIFST, established in 1976, was marking its 50th anniversary with activities that include its 50th conference and annual general meeting in Lagos. Osinowo said the institute had more than 15,000 members worldwide and 11 active chapters in Nigeria. He said the institute brought together professionals from academia, industry, government, research, regulatory agencies and hospitality. The anniversary provides an opportunity for the institute to highlight its role in food science, technology, food safety and capacity building.
Osinowo, however, stressed that education and advocacy must be followed by enforcement where unsafe practices continued: “Initially we can show love, but if that is not working, we need to arrest and put action behind it.”
