NAN-AE-2
Foods
By Mercy Osajiugo
Minna, Oct. 16, 2017 (NAN) Prof. Sunny Iyuke of Petroleum Training Institute, Warri, on Monday urged the Federal Government to patent Nigeria’s indigenous foods so as to stimulate their global acceptance and recognition.
Iyuke, who made the appeal in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna, said that Nigeria might not be able to sell its local foods in the international market because they lacked patents.
“We should patent our `garri’ (cassava flakes), `elubo’ (yam or cassava flour) and many other local foods, both raw and cooked, so that our food products can be recognised and marketed internationally.
“We are not patenting our local foods and for this reason, our local foods still lack global acceptance, no matter their packaging’’ he said.
Iyuke noted that although Nigerian products were able to traverse national boundaries, the originality and ownership of some of these products were not duly identified and registered.
“Take `garri’, for example, if it is patented like Coca Cola; it will consequently have global acceptance.
“The process of making `garri’ involves indigenous skills bequeathed to us by our ancestors but we did not patent `garri’ and no one is accepting it outside.
“If `garri’ is patented, we would have claims and monopoly of the product; this will also generate a lot of money for Nigeria,’’ he added.
The don said that the Federal Government should patent `garri’, among other food products, and have the essential documents that would enable Nigeria to have patents on these products.
“For instance, the global acceptance of `garri’ will mean it is patented; that will bring more revenue for the country because `garri’ would be known and consumed globally,’’ he said.
Iyuke stressed that the country had many local food varieties, both raw and cooked, which needed patents for global acceptability.
“If Nigeria’s local foods are able to gain global popularity, so many windows would be opened for the country, especially in the area of bilateral trading,’’ he said.
He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to look into the proposal, as part of its designed efforts to boost the country’s economy. (NAN)
MNO/OOK
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