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Operators eye 80% soybean use in Nigeria

The Nigeria Soybean Stakeholders Coalition aims to increase soybean consumption in livestock and human diets by 80%.

During the coalition's inauguration in Lagos, Chairman Dr. Joe Dada emphasized the importance of expanding soybean's role across sectors to address Nigeria's nutritional deficiencies, according to The Punch.

Dr. Dada expressed the coalition's commitment to promoting protein sufficiency in Nigeria, emphasizing the increased use of soybeans to address the country's nutritional challenges.

"For livestock, we are already at 60% utilization, but our goal is to reach 90%." "We aim to increase human nutrition from 20% to 80%," he stated.

He emphasized that soybeans, which are commonly associated with livestock feed, have a wide range of applications in food products for people of all ages.

"Soybeans have over 357 uses, from baby food to confectioneries and even adult food," he told me.

According to Dada, soybean oil is frequently cited for its potential health benefits, particularly in terms of cholesterol levels. It contains polyunsaturated fats, such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which can help improve lipid profiles by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol while increasing HDL (good).

The NSSC's collaboration with the federal government aims to address key soybean production challenges, such as low crop yields and import bottlenecks. They hope to improve agricultural practices, increase supply chain efficiency, and eventually boost domestic production by pooling resources and expertise.

"The government is interested because there's a known protein deficiency in Nigeria," Dada said, adding that initiatives like the 'one egg a day' program for schoolchildren highlight this need.

The government also sees the initiative as a way to create jobs, predicting that increasing soybean production will have a multiplier effect on employment, particularly in agriculture and processing.

Foluso Alabi, Country Lead of the US Soybean Export Council for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa, believes soybeans could be a "game changer" in addressing malnutrition in the country.

"We have about 51 per cent malnutrition in the northern part of Nigeria," Alabi told me. "Soybean can provide affordable protein, bringing soy-based foods like soy milk and soy-garri to households nationwide."

Alabi noted that the coalition's agenda is consistent with the federal government's goal of improving food security and achieving zero hunger, which is one of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

"When a person is properly fed, they are more productive. Soybeans are dependable sources of energy and nutrition, and we are looking to incorporate them into industrial applications," he added, citing US advancements in soybean-based biofuels as a future goal for Nigeria.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr Chinyere Akujobi, was represented by Dr Modupe Hambolu, who expressed strong government support for the coalition's goals, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in overcoming soybean production obstacles.

"We expect the NSSC to open up the soy value chain and raise awareness among Nigerians about the benefits of soybeans," Akujobi stated, emphasizing that soybean production would play an important role in meeting Nigeria's nutritional and food security objectives.

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