The Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) has said that poor packaging of exported food items from Nigeria is a big challenge to their performance in the global market.
The President of NIFST, Professor Joseph Oneh Abu, made the disclosure in Umudike while addressing the press at the 47th annual conference of NIFST, held in Umuahia and Umudike.
He noted that food exports from Nigeria can dominate the global market and earn the nation more foreign exchange, but lamented that the poor branding of foods by exporters usually affects the marketability and competitiveness of Nigerian food exports.
He declared that NIFST has taken up the task of harnessing the abundance of talent, knowledge and skills among food professionals in Nigeria towards food sufficiency and good nutrition for the masses
The NIFST President disclosed that the nation currently imports more than three times the value of the foods it exports and promised that the 47th conference would help to turn the situation around in the country’s interests.
He added that the value of the global food industry would hit $10 trillion by 2027, saying that the 47-year-old food organisation is doing everything to make Nigeria’s food sector carve a big market share of the projected growth.
He therefore recommended that for Nigerian food to compete favourably with those from other nations, the producers and exporters must adhere strictly to basic food safety standards as well as internationally accepted standards.
Prof Abu further appealed to the Federal Government to release adequate funding for the NIFST to conduct research and other works that would lift the nation’s food science and technology industry.
