By Uzo Ugwunze
The 11th presenter of the Faculty of Agriculture, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka’s lecture series, Dr Ogechukwu Umeh, says improving underutilized indigenous crops will help the Southeastern region achieve food security.
Dr Umeh, a lecturer in the Department of Crop Science and Horticulture, who disclosed this during her presentation, appealed to southeasterners to go back to those crops which helped the people of old live long and health lives.
In the lecture themed “Improving Under-utilized crops in South-eastern Nigeria: A Panacea for food security, Umeh, a distinguished Nigerian academic and researcher specializing in Agriculture, regretted that the indigenous crops with their nutritional, medicinal and economic values, have been neglected for far too long.
Umeh who is also the third Genuises Lecturer of the Faculty, regrettably noted, “We have allowed imported foods like rice, etc, Genetically modified foods (GM Foods), processed spices in diverse forms to displace our indigenous delicacies.
“Our fore parents lived long and healthy because they depended on those indigenous foods which we have long neglected. We must go back to them as a panacea for food security and to prevent these health challenges not known to the people of old.
She called for a well-structured seed bank in the Department of Crop Science and Horticulture to conserve and preserve genetic diversity of indigenous crops, while stressing the need to make seeds of the indigenous crops available to farmers across the region.
“There is need for increasing research into underutilized indigenous crops to identify their potentials, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. Findings from such researches must be published in reputable journals and disseminated them to the public through the religious organizations, NGOs and agricultural cooperatives to raise awareness about the importance of these crops.
“Indigenous food restaurants should be established in all universities in the Southeast Nigeria and free rentage given to such establishments.
Dr Umeh appealed to school managements to enact laws for locally-made foods to be served in conferences, workshops and seminars organized in any university in Southeast Nigeria. “I also recommend the establishment of agricultural market gardens in all universities in Southeast region, where underutilized indigenous crops and foods are sold”.
The Acting Vice Chancellor Prof Joseph Ikechebelu who was represented by the Director Academic Planning, Prof. Angela Ufele-Obiesie, had earlier lauded the Faculty of Agriculture for its huge contribution to the quest for food security in southeast region and Nigeria.
“It’s my pleasure always to be here. I urge you to keep up the good works you are doing to advance the quest for food security. We will keep supporting you in all ways possible”.
The Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Cordelia Ebenebe, noted that the faculty despite being one of the youngest (14th among 17 faculties) in UNIZIK, parades brilliant brains who can compete favourably with their counterparts anywhere in world.
“In this faculty, a lot of our lecturers have done wonders in the academic arena and we decided on what we call Faculty Young Genuises Lecture. We’ve had the first one, the second one and this is the third which parades one of our young geniuses.
“We are not just in the academia to make noise or always demand for pay rise. We are bringing about changes and development in all spheres of life.
Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Gabriel Ihejirika, observed that the lecture is structured to spark transformative conversation and innovative idea for solving pressing societal challenges.
“It’s an era where food insecurity continues to challenge our communities and threaten our collective well-being.
“The need to look inwards to our land, our tradition, our heritage and our under-explored agricultural assets has never been more pressing”.
The event, which attracted professors, other academia, politicians mainly from Imo State as well as hundreds of students of the Faculty and Department of Crop Science and Horticulture, featured award of academic excellence to best students from the seven departments under the Faculty of Agriculture.
Another highpoint was the announcement of a scholarship award to a 300-Level student of the Department of Crop Science and Horticulture by the husband of the Faculty Lecturer, Hon Ikechukwu Umeh, for his hard-work displayed during the preparations for the lecture.