Operators target 80% soybean use in Nigeria

The Nigeria Soybean Stakeholders Coalition has announced the target to increase Nigeria’s protein sufficiency by raising soybean usage in both livestock and human diets up to 80 per cent.

At the coalition’s inauguration in Lagos, the NSSC Chairman, Dr Joe Dada, outlined a vision to increase soybean’s presence across various sectors, utilising its potential to fill Nigeria’s nutritional gaps.

“We want to promote protein sufficiency in Nigeria,” Dada said, stating the coalition’s commitment to overcoming the country’s nutritional challenges through greater use of soybeans.

“For livestock, we’re already at 60 per cent usage, but our goal is to reach 90 per cent. For human nutrition, we aim to increase from the current 20 per cent to 80 per cent,” he stated.

Dada pointed out that soybeans, often overlooked as merely livestock feed, actually have extensive applications in food products for all ages.

“Soybeans have over 357 uses, from baby food to confectioneries and even adult food,” he explained.

According to Dada, soybean oil can contribute to reducing cholesterol, making it an asset in promoting health.

The NSSC plans to collaborate with the federal government to address challenges in soybean production, including low crop yields and importation bottlenecks, which have hindered past efforts.

“The government is interested because there’s a known protein deficiency in Nigeria,” Dada asserted, adding that initiatives such as the ‘one egg a day’ program for schoolchildren underscore this need.

The government also views the initiative as a path to job creation, expecting that boosting soybean production will have a multiplier effect on employment, especially in agriculture and processing.

The Country Lead of the US Soybean Export Council for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa, Foluso Alabi, affirmed that soybean 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 remarked. “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 aligns with the federal government’s goal of enhancing food security and achieving zero hunger, one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

“When a person is well-fed, they are more productive. Soybeans are reliable in providing energy and nutrition, and we are also looking to introduce them into industrial applications,” he added, pointing to US advancements in soybean-based biofuels as a future target for Nigeria.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr Chinyere Akujobi, represented by Dr Modupe Hambolu, expressed the government’s support for the coalition’s objectives.

“We expect the NSSC to open up the soy value chain and to create more awareness among Nigerians about the benefits of soybeans,” Akujobi declared as she emphasised that soybean production would play a key role in meeting Nigeria’s nutritional and food security goals.

The event featured the induction of NSSC’s trustees and executive team, along with the unveiling of the coalition’s logo.