Food science and technology professor Mojisola Oyarekua has stated that adequate and effective infant nutrition is critical to achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the country.
The professor who revealed this during Federal University Oye-Ekiti’s (FUOYE) fourth inaugural lecture titled “Economic Potentials of Underutilized Staples for Sustainable Infant Nutrition Requirements in Nigeria,” added that malnutrition could lead infants to achieve it their full potential in the future.
Oyarekua, who said infants could die from diseases caused by malnutrition, advised parents to introduce complementary foods, which they believe must contain calories and protein, for the infants after six months of breastfeeding.
“Adequate infant nutrition is very important for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria. Infant malnutrition can result in future physically and cognitively disabled infants who will leave them behind for life.
“Malnourished infants have a lower resistance to infections, a less resilient immune system and are more likely to die from the usual childhood diseases.”
She complained that, due to the influence of culture and tradition, many Nigerian staple foods are underutilized for infant consumption, “because it does not encourage their use as complementary foods for infants”.
The professor of food science and technology warned parents and guardians not to give up breastfeeding for infants and focus on overloading them with as many nutrients as it could lead to infant obesity.
To avoid contaminated food for infants, she advocated the need for proper and efficient packaging by putting food in safe containers.
“In a number of cases, food can be contaminated because it has not been securely packaged in containers previously used for pesticides, but we are not adequately washed before reusing,” she said.
Oyarekua advised the government at all levels to introduce a law on baby food, which is updated at regular intervals, and that the traditional processing of baby foods should be evaluated.
She also recommended that “laboratories in agricultural faculties of higher institutions in Nigeria should be expanded into full food processing industries for production, quality control, packaging and distribution to consumers.
“There should be community-based nutrition interventions by the government. This should include nutritional advice through verbal audiovisual media to provide mothers with adequate information on complementary foods and weaning practices. “
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Fasina, praised the inaugural lecturer for her profound research work on this topic.
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