By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
In ensuring that the narratives of Nigeria cuisines culture is changed, the Director General National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Runsewe has harped on the promotion of Nigerian food culture home and aboard .
He said the time has come to discourage the consumption of foreign food culture, saying that most of those food were been preserved with chemicals which at the long run has negative effects on health.
“ Nigeria is blessed by God with variety of food items. The time has come to encourage the use of Nigeria Cuisines “.
Runsewe explained that,”patronizing made in Nigeria food items by our locally producers, Nigerian Small scale entrepreneurs have become very paramount. This will create more employment for Nigerians especially women, youth and other vulnerable members of the Society.”
Speaking at the Unveiling of the Made in Nigeria Products yesterday in Abuja, with the theme: “Promoting Nigerian Food Culture”, the Director General disclosed that “the Nigeria food basket we are presenting today has created over 2000 direct jobs and 2,500 indirect jobs.
It has a prospect of creating over 5million jobs if sustained.”
According to him, NCAC is collaborating with Business Visa to implement this program.
“If we can promote and patronize our own products, the level of unemployment will reduce and our people will be economically empowered”,he said .
He described Nigeria’s cultural foods as natural but rich in nutrients and medicine.
He added that it builds and boost immune system.
Runsewe reiterated that he will collaborate with another agencies in ensuring that the country’s food basket are being used in the airports, embassies, supermarket,handy gifts for Christmas and other related celebrations.
Earlier, the Managing Director, Business Visa Limited, Garba Sani, called on the federal government to established a market for 100% Nigeria made food to boost the country’s economy.
Sani pleaded for other government agencies to collaborate and intervene in both township and rural entrepreneurship development.
Speaking during the interface with the local producers, the entrepreneurs urged government to look into the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration Control( NAFDAC) certifications to help Nigeria entrepreneurs get certify easily.
