Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) is said to have done a lot of work in the area of research and Development in the country.
Dr. Toyin Oluwole, the Director and Head of Department, Food Technology Department, of Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Lagos State made this known at the ongoing Technology and Innovation Expo 2022, in Abuja.
According to her, “FIIRO have done a lot of work in the area of research and Development in finding use into local indigenous crops; especially in the area of ensuring food and nutrition security in the country. As well as reducing food and importation bill in the country.”
Dr Toyin also said, “it is often said that a nation that cannot feed itself is beyond underdeveloped. So Federal Institute of Industrial Research, have a lot of innovations that can feed the country if the institute can be adequately and appropriately challenged to do so. We have technologies that match each of the 774 local government in the country; that can create jobs and provide food on the table of the ultimate consumer.
Regarding food security, “Dr. Toyin said, “whenever food is being harvested in the country there is usually a lot of post harvest losses. For instance for fruits and vegetables, it has been severally documented that at least 40-50% of fruits and vegetables produced annually; there is always lost at harvest for cereal 30%, roots and tubers 30%.”
“There is always post harvest loss of at least 30percent each for cereals and root and tuber crops along their individual value chain.”
Dr. Toyin also used the opportunity to showcase some good product in FIIRO stand.
In her words:
“Our Wheat Bread is made of composite wheat flour. It contains some percentage of wheat, high quality cassava flour and other normal baking ingredients for bread.
What we did in FIIRO was just to manipulate the recipe. We did not add additional ingredients that will increase the cost of production because of the mandate of the institute in the area of developing innovations for industrial development in the country.”
“We are saddled with the responsibility of transferring whatever Innovation we are able to develop to the end users; the small and medium enterprises.