A university don, and Head, Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Ibadan, Oyo State Nigeria, Professor Kehinde Olugboyega Soetan has urged Nigerians and Africans to take their food as medicines and also task every tiers of government to dedicate fund for researches on underutilized legumes.
He made this appeal to Nigerians and Africans. He made this disclosure while presenting a paper titled: Under-Utilized Legumes: Unexploited Sources of Nutraceuticals at the 10th Webinar lecture series of the Society For Underutilized Legumes (SUL) held on 31st March 2021 via Google meet.
He listed several pharmaceutical and medical benefits that could be derived from the neglected legumes if properly exploited. He strongly advised on the creation of necessary awareness on their utilization.
The session which was moderated by Mr. Moses S. Anzenge, Production Manager, Journal of Underutilized Legumes had so many prominent academics and researchers in attendance including Emeritus Professors and scholars in different institutions such as: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna, Bells University of Technology, Lagos State University to mention but a few were in attendance.
In his welcome address, Dr. Daniel B. Adewale, SUL National President represented by a member of the Board of Trustees, Prof. Marshall A. Azeke of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State Nigeria urged members and the entire academic and research communities to identify with these legumes that has immense benefits particularly in solving Africa’s challenges of malnutrition, food insecurity and climate change issues. The President thanked the Genetic Resources Center, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria and other international/national research centres for their continuity in providing hosting and supporting platforms for SUL.A goodwill message was delivered by Dr. Jacob Popoola of the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, an executive member of SUL.
He admonished on the need for improved synergy and collaboration in bringing about the desired changes in improving food security and nutrition through proper employment of inherent efficiencies in underutilized legumes.
In his closing remark, SUL National General Secretary, Dr. Taofeek T. Adegboyega of the Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna, urges members to take advantage of the various knowledge exchange platforms available to all members in promoting the use of underutilized legumes.
He also announced that the 11th Academic Lecture Series by SUL will hold virtually on April 28th, 2021 as well as the coming 5th National Conference and stakeholders meeting of SUL which will be hosted by the University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria in September 2021.
Furthermore, Dr. Adegboyega introduced the Journal of Underutilized Legumes (JUL) which is an international peer-reviewed journal that is generally seeking to be one of the world’s most rated, well-indexed, and most globally circulated journal in the nearest future. JUL publishes original research articles, reviews and short communications in all areas geared towards utilization improvement, research, economics, conservation and general development of the underutilized legumes in the Africa and the world at large. Informative details about SUL; goals, vision, membership, research, JUL, documentaries etc. can be found on www.sulegumes.org.
