In a ceremony held on 29 November at IITA-Abuja, IITA Associate Scientist Titilayo Falade and Acting Head of Abuja Station Prakash Kant Silwal handed over mycotoxin testing equipment (Neogen® Raptor) and accessories worth $13,000 to private and public sector partners: Coopetition Forum for Aflatoxin Reduced Agricultural Products (CFARAP) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). The equipment donation was facilitated with funding from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and HarvestPlus as part of the project, Reducing Post Harvest Loss Across Vitamin A Maize and Cassava Value Chains in Nigeria.
While receiving the delegation, Silwal spoke about the innovative work on aflatoxin management by IITA’s team and congratulated Falade for the project’s contribution to addressing food safety needs, especially aflatoxin management in Nigeria. He mentioned that this equipment would complement the activities of CFARAP and NAFDAC and thanked the organizations for their partnership in aflatoxin mitigation. Silwal further appreciated the donors for making funds available to donate the mycotoxin testing equipment to NAFDAC and CFARAP.
In response, CFARAP Chairman Ali Ali, while receiving the testing equipment, expressed delight over the donations and assured the commitment of CFARAP to maximize the testing equipment. He insisted that the equipment would strengthen their capacity as private sector partners for mobile and in-situ testing aflatoxins in multiple food crops. Ali further mentioned that their organization, comprising over 40 private companies nationwide, has been strengthened in meeting aflatoxin regulatory demands since Aflasafe’s introduction under the AgResults project. The new testing equipment would increase their capacity to contribute to aflatoxin management nationwide.
The NAFDAC DG, represented by Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Assistant Director, Adenike Adegbenro, appreciated the timely and laudable initiative by IITA in collaboration with GAIN and HarvestPlus. She stated that, as part of NAFDAC’s regulatory activities, the Agency is committed to “ensuring the availability of safe, quality, and wholesome food products to the populace.” She pledged that the testing equipment would be put to good use nationwide by the well-trained mycotoxin experts in NAFDAC and looked forward to continued collaboration with IITA.
In his remarks, GAIN Country Commercialization Project Manager Tavershima Torhemen lauded IITA for developing different strategies for aflatoxin management, including establishing mobile testing hubs. He commended the project team led by Lateef Sanni and applauded Falade’s impactful work toward managing aflatoxin in the eight project states. “IITA has far exceeded expectations on this project, and we are indeed happy with the progress thus far,” said Torhemen. He also appreciated NAFDAC and CFARAP for attending the ceremony.
Falade thanked GAIN and HarvestPlus for their partnership and funding to provide the testing equipment to partners. She highlighted the Neogen® testing equipment’s ability to test multiple mycotoxins, including aflatoxins, stating that it would contribute to continued food safety efforts in Nigeria. She expressed confidence that, as strong partners, CFARAP and NAFDAC are well placed as private and public sector partners that can contribute towards aflatoxin management and that the testing equipment adds to their capacity to do so. She thanked them for their national contributions and welcomed their continued partnership in strengthening food safety in Nigeria.
As part of the project’s objectives, IITA trained stakeholders on mycotoxin management strategies in eight states from June to July and established a stakeholders’ platform via the Food Convergence Innovation—Nigeria Stakeholders’ Convention—in October for collaborative engagement. The Institute also handed over equipment to establish testing hubs for rapid mycotoxin in-situ analysis.
Contributed by Terngu Abur and Titilayo Falade
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