Alternative Animal Feed Key to Food Security, Healthier Poultry Products — FUNAAB's DVC, Academic

 

 … As the University Holds 114th Inaugural Lecture

 By Olasunkanmi Olajide & Joy Adeyiga

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof. Olusegun Mark Obafemi Idowu, has called for increased investment in alternative animal feed resources as a sustainable solution to Nigeria's food security challenges, rising livestock production costs, and the demand for healthier animal products.

Speaking while delivering the 114th Inaugural Lecture of the University today, July 8, 2026, Prof. Idowu said his decades of research had demonstrated that locally available, non-conventional feed resources could significantly reduce the cost of livestock production while improving animal performance and the nutritional quality of poultry products.

Titled, "Feed to Food: Biological Machines in the Hands of a Monogastric Nutritionist," the Professor of Monogastric Animal Nutrition explained that his research had successfully established the nutritional and economic value of alternative feed ingredients such as Cassava Root Sievate, Shrimp Waste nd Unpeeled Cassava Root Meal.

According to him, the feed materials not only improve feed conversion efficiency but also reduce dependence on conventional feed ingredients that compete directly with human food consumption. Prof. Idowu disclosed that one of the landmark outcomes of his research was the ability to reduce cholesterol levels in poultry products through dietary manipulation.

He explained that incorporating alternative feed resources into poultry diets significantly lowered cholesterol concentrations in eggs, blood plasma and liver tissues, while dietary copper supplementation enhanced cholesterol excretion. He added that the combined use of copper and ascorbic acid effectively reduced cholesterol without causing excessive copper residue in chicken muscles.

Prof. Idowu, a member of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), described animal nutrition as a critical link between feed production and food security, stressing that sustainable feeding strategies enhance livestock productivity, improve animal welfare, promote environmental sustainability and deliver healthier food to consumers.

The Animal Nutrition expert urged governments, researchers, and private-sector stakeholders to invest in the production and processing of alternative feed resources, intensify research into non-conventional feed ingredients and agro-industrial by-products, strengthen collaboration among researchers, farmers, feed manufacturers, and policymakers, and prioritise continuous professional development for animal nutritionists.

According to him, adopting innovative feeding strategies would improve the efficiency and competitiveness of Nigeria's livestock industry while making nutritious animal protein more accessible to the growing population.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, described the University's 114th Inaugural Lecture as another milestone in its commitment to advancing scholarship, innovation and research-driven solutions to national development challenges. He noted that the lecture was the fourth Inaugural Lecture from the Department of Animal Nutrition and the 14th from COLANIM.

Presenting the profile of the Inaugural Lecturer, Prof. Kehinde described him as a distinguished scholar who obtained all his Academic Degrees from FUNAAB, earning a Bachelor of Agriculture Degree in Animal Nutrition in 1994, a Master's Degree in Monogastric Animal Nutrition in 1999 and a Ph.D. in the same discipline in 2004.

The Vice-Chancellor said Prof. Idowu joined the University's service as a Graduate Assistant in 1997 and rose through the ranks to become a Professor of Monogastric Animal Nutrition in 2014.

He highlighted the scholar's extensive administrative experience, having served as Acting Head of the Department of Animal Nutrition, Chairman of the University Timetable and Examination Committee (TIMTEC), Director of the FUNAAB Distance Learning Centre, Director of the Institute of Food Security, Environmental Resources and Agricultural Research (IFSERAR), and currently as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic).

Prof. Kehinde also noted that Prof. Idowu has published more than 70 journal articles and over 20 conference papers, while attracting several national and international research grants from organisations including TETFund, DelPHE, the EDULINK ACP-EU Cooperation Programme and the West African Network of Organic Agriculture and Research and Training (WANOART).

#SDG2, #SDG4, #SDG9

ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY KEY TO NIGERIA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH, OSINBAJO, AMBODE INSISTS

…As VP Holds Special Evening With Stakeholders In Lagos

Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Friday evening re-emphasised the importance of the entertainment industry to Nigeria’s economic growth, assuring that the sector would continue to enjoy support to maximize its potentials.



The duo spoke at an event organised for entertainers and tagged “An Evening with the Vice President” held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island and was well attended by scores of entertainers including actors, comedians and musicians, among others.



Osinbajo reassured stakeholders in the entertainment industry of the Federal Government’s commitment to support them to enhance national growth and development, adding that they remain key players in the nation’s all round development and Government was not oblivious of it.



The Vice President said he had met frequently with entertainers with a view to developing policies around the industry for economy growth, revealing that the government decided to create Technology and Creativity Advisory Council to see how the government could move the industry forward through proper policies, especially on how to address the issue of piracy.

“No sensible politician can ignore entertainers; if you do, you do so at your own risk. Entertainers also cannot ignore politicians; it is impossible. If you do, you do so at your own peril.



“Already, there is a lot going on. Your industry has to respond to what is going on. This industry is important and crucial to our economy.



“We must set up the environment that will make it happen. No environment is completely ready; whatever it is that we have at the moment, we have to make the maximum use of it to grow this industry,” he said.



He said it was gratifying that some entertainers were already in politics and urged others to participate, in order to make a change and a difference.



“Your support is actually important. What we need to do is to sit together and solve the problem. The country is what it is today because some people stole the treasure,” he said.



In his remarks, Governor Ambode said the State had always been the hub for entertainers and would continue to support the industry to grow the State’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).



He also called for synergy between the Government and entertainers in order to create a convergence to grow the economy of not just the State, but also Nigeria.



“I just want to promise this time around that whatever it is that we have done as a government in the last three and half years, we have proven that the arts and entertainment industry can actually create a convergence with the culture of the city and then promote tourism using that convergence to grow the economy of Lagos and we have proven that.



“So, beyond our action there are other things that have to do with the framework, the things that have to do with copyright and access to capital to promote the entertainment industry and I hope that within the next one hour, we should be able to tell ourselves the truth on which way we can actually push this synergy to create that grows the GDP, not only of Lagos but the GDP of the whole country and we would be able to attract tourists to this country,” Governor Ambode said.

Also speaking, Sen. Goodwill Akpabio, who promised to support the industry as he had also been, assured the entertainers of government’s readiness to help them on issues of legislation.



Akpabio, who noted that the artistes were ambassadors of the country, urged them to promote Nigeria’s oneness.



Many of the artistes, who spoke at the event, identified the challenges in the industry as piracy, distribution of artistic works, poor power supply, lack of infrastructure, censorship, licensing, and access to credit facilities, among others.