Right To Protein, an awareness campaign of the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) which aims at educating people about the importance of adequate protein consumption for better nutrition, health, and well-being, is set to hold its inaugural conference in Nigeria.
The Conference is tagged ‘Right To Protein: Protein for a Sustainable Tomorrow’.
It is set to hold at Marriott Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at 10.00 AM.
The conference will also be Live streamed on YouTube: @RightToProteinNigeria to a global audience.
Director-General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) Lagos and an Associate Professor of Industrial Biochemistry, Dr (Mrs.) Jummai Adamu Tutuwa will be the Special Guest of Honour.
The keynote speaker who will do justice to the conference theme is a fellow of the West African College of Physicians and the current acting Head of the Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Osun (UNIOSUN), Dr Olubukola Omobuwa.
In the same vein, a highly engaging panel discussion session will be moderated by Dr Mrs Ifeoma Akeredolu. PhD, RD., Centre Coordinator, Yabatech UNESCO-UNEVOC Centre and Lecturer, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.
The session will equally feature Kevin Roepke, Regional Director, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa (SAASSA), USSEC.
Other members of the panel are Professor Wasiu Afolabi, President, the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) and a Professor of Community Nutrition in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics and current Dean, College of Food Science and Human Ecology, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Ogun State, and Dr. Beatrice Oganah Ikujenyo (PhD), Associate Professor of Nutrition, Department of Home Economics, Lagos State University of Education, Oto-Ijanikin, Lagos.
The panellists are described as key stakeholders in the nutrition sector, not just in Nigeria but from other parts of the world.
They will be discussing salient matters around nutrition, increasing protein consumption, its effect on productivity, impact on ensuring a sustainable future for Nigeria and Africa at large and ultimately, ensuring that everyone has an actual right to protein.
Country Team Lead, Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa, USSEC, Dr. Michael David, who announced the agenda for the inaugural Right To Protein Nigeria Conference, said the conference is aimed at bringing together key stakeholders in the food, health, nutrition, academia, regulatory and soybean value chain to deepen discourse around protein consumption in Nigeria.
He explained that the upcoming conference would focus on the need to encourage Nigerians to regularly consume proteins bearing in mind the invaluable impact protein has on the overall health of a person– eventually leading to a more productive workforce.
His words “We are excited to be leading the narrative in changing Nigerians’ perception of protein consumption while also championing a behavioral shift towards optimizing consumption of a variety of protein sources including animal-based and plant-based protein, especially those options that can be easily accessed by and are relatively more affordable for most Nigerians.”
“This conference aims to underline our motive of bringing together experts and individuals passionate about nutrition to discuss the importance of adequate protein consumption for better nutrition, health, and wellbeing. Key learnings from the event will empower attendees with knowledge, evidence-based insights, and practical strategies needed to make informed choices regarding their protein intake, ultimately supporting their overall wellbeing,” said Dr. David.
Right to Protein campaign was launched in Lagos, Nigeria earlier this year in February with a media roundtable conference geared towards officially announcing the campaign as well as celebrating Nigeria’s inaugural Protein Day.
