Patented Nigerian Food Innovation Targets Hunger, Food Waste, Climate Challenges

A Nigerian food innovation developed at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Abia state, is being projected as a homegrown solution to tackle food insecurity, nutrition challenges, post-harvest losses, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and climate change while creating jobs and boosting rural economies.

The innovation, known as Functional Instant Green Healthy Nutritious Food Flours (FIGHN), was developed through an interdisciplinary research pioneered by Professor Boniface A.C. Agugo and is protected under Patent No. RP: NG/P/2019/84. The technology converts fresh agricultural produce, including cassava, yam, cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables, into nutrient-rich, shelf-stable functional flours with a storage life of more than 12 months.

Fielding questions from newsmen in MOUAU, Abia state yesterday, Prof. Agugo disclosed that the FIGHN Initiative is open to partnerships and investment from governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), development partners, private investors and other critical stakeholders to facilitate large-scale production, adoption and commercialization of the innovation across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the inventor, FIGHN was conceived to address the paradox of widespread post-harvest losses occurring alongside persistent hunger, malnutrition and poor diets across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. He said the technology enhances the nutritional quality of traditional foods such as fufu, akpu, pounded yam, ogi, breakfast cereals, complementary foods, snacks and composite flours for bread and pastries without altering their cultural identity or taste.

Professor Agugo explained that the innovation preserves higher levels of dietary fibre, proteins, vitamins, minerals and naturally occurring bioactive compounds, thereby improving nutrition for children, pregnant women and other vulnerable groups while promoting healthier diets capable of reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular ailments. The importance of good nutrition on a population-wide basis cannot be overemphasized as it provides the bedrock for the economic and social development of nations, given that all of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) both influence, and are influenced, by nutrition.

He noted that FIGHN was designed as an integrated solution to address multiple national and global challenges, including food security, nutrition security, hidden hunger, post-harvest losses, youth unemployment, import dependence, climate resilience and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases through the use of indigenous crops and Nigerian scientific innovation.

Beyond nutrition, he said the technology offers significant economic and environmental benefits by reducing food waste, increasing farmers’ incomes, creating opportunities for agro-processing enterprises, generating employment for women and youths, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions associated with food spoilage and inefficient agricultural value chains.

Using cassava as an example, Agugo observed that although Nigeria is one of the world’s largest producers of the crop, conventional processing methods often result in nutrient losses and wastage. He said FIGHN improves cassava processing through value addition making the outcome products healthier, more nutritious and commercially valuable while strengthening national food security and environmental resilience .

The professor, however, expressed concern that many groundbreaking discoveries made in Nigerian universities fail to reach the marketplace due to inadequate commercialization structures, limited investment and weak collaboration between researchers, industry and government.

He therefore called on governments, development finance institutions, donor agencies, manufacturers, financial institutions, private investors and other stakeholders to support the commercialization of the patented technology through strategic partnerships, funding and technology transfer initiatives.

Agugo also urged governments to integrate indigenous food technologies into school feeding programmes, nutrition policies, healthcare interventions and agricultural transformation initiatives, while encouraging universities to strengthen technology transfer systems that will enable research findings to become commercially viable products.

According to him, Nigeria already possesses the scientific expertise, agricultural resources and youthful workforce required to build globally competitive agro-processing industries, stressing that greater confidence in local innovations and increased investment in homegrown technologies are needed to unlock the country’s full potential.

He maintained that the research has been completed, the patent secured and the technology proven, emphasizing that the next critical step is large-scale commercialization to deliver lasting economic, nutritional, environmental and public health benefits.