Ordinarily, one would say ‘research and development activities would be acceptable and effective to humanity when the outcome of its application comes with relevant and tangible achievements. BINTA SHAMA identifies these features from FIIRO.
The Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) is one of the parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology. It came into being precisely in 1953, when the industrial research activities in Nigeria were mishandled and mismanaged without proper achievable goal.
FIIRO is saddled with different responsibilities, departments and products. It has since inception come a long way with its registered and achievable goals, not just within the working ability or the hearts of Nigerians but beyond the shores of this country.
Achievements
To mention but a few, the organisation has so far proved quality and competency in the production of machineries, job creation and most especially in the agricultural sector.
Effort on motion
Sometime back in 2017, FIIRO received representatives from GIZ and Bosch Packaging on technical courtesy visit with intention to collaborate with the Institute in areas of common interest in a joint Cooperation Agreement to develop innovative cassava processing technologies to provide innovative solution to cassava processors so as to increase their income for Nigerian micro, small and medium sized cassava processors, and to create additional employment.
The Institute has spurred industrialization in the different sectors of Nigerian economy through development and commercialization of indigenous technologies which attracted the team to the organization to achieve greater heights.
According to the Director-General of FIIRO, Mrs Gloria Elemo, “the Institute has worked on virtually all agro-commodities available in Nigeria and has developed process technologies to convert them to shelf-stable products thereby reducing post-harvest losses in Nigeria”.
In the course of the event, it was revealed that the project concept was to develop simple mobile and stationary cassava processing units for both small and medium sized cassava processors. The small sized unit will comprise of a tricycle with a trailer carrying the basic cassava equipment mainly the hammer mill, hydraulic press and a source of power. They sought the interventions of FIIRO to develop a hammer mill that can handle both coarse and fine grinding/milling. The issue of fermentation rack was also discussed and agreed to be a component of the processing units. A draft Operational work plan was discussed and accepted with input by all the parties indicating responsibilities or obligations of each of the parties.
On the other hand, Bosch Packaging emphasized the need for effective packaging of products coming out from the processors such as garri, fufu, starch, Bosch Packaging.
FIIRO as an Institute known globally due to the implementation of world standards to the system, constantly producing safe quality food aiding in the exportation of certified locally manufactured products for international trade exceeding the customers’ expectation in a safe and conducive working environment.
And as earlier stated, the organisation has distributed its innovation chain critically in most area of livelihood.
The agriculture sector
FIIRO’s objective is to meet global food standards considering consumers and countries of becoming more aware, demanding that food be safe for consumption as developed countries. To meet up with the liberalization of economies and globalization of markets it must ensure that food products developed, produced and transferred to consumers and SMEs for large scale production by FIIRO to satisfy global food safety standard. This is to enable the organization become one of the foremost laboratories accredited to ISO 17025 in Nigeria.
Production
Plantain production, be it in cooking, boiled, fried is one of the less sweet cultivated varieties (cultivars). Plantain production, which can be produced in different forms. For instance, plantain flour for swallow (good for diabetic patient), plantain chips generally consumed by all but especially kids. And so many other plantain produce.
Soygari
It’s a kind of garri produced by FIIRO for interested consumers. Garri as generally defined as a fermented creamy yellow, roasted and granular cassava production. It is widely eaten in West and Central Africa.
It is generally believed garri is a major staple food for majority of the people in the Southern part of Nigeria. Garri is the most widely traded processed cassava product. It is estimated that more than 75 percent of the cassava produced in Africa is processed into garri. As a result, garri prices are often a reliable indication of the demand and supply of cassava. Garri is produced mainly by traditional cassava processors.
It has a moisture content of between 8-10% and has a slightly sour to strongly sour taste. However, Garri like most cassava products is low in protein; hence the fortification with protein from Soybeans to produce Soy-Garri. Soy-Garri is garri fortified with Soybeans and which is abundant in protein in order to improve the protein content of Garri. The incorporation of Soybean protein into Garri will help increase the intake of protein and reduce the prevalence of protein energy malnutrition (PEM) among low income earning families. It is a good basic food that is affordable and can help supply the minimal protein requirements of a balanced diet with improved organoleptic properties.
Garri is one of the many products that can be processed from cassava tubers, it is a staple food widely eaten not only by the 140million people in Nigeria and across the length and breadth of the shores of this country.
Garri export
It will shock you to know that the consumption of garri goes a long way, it is also sold on Amazon. This is to tell us that the market very is huge.
Report says there is 100% locally available production of garri in all of the 36 states of the country. A feedback from many parts of the country indicates signs of on-coming abundance of cassava harvest resulting from the
cultivation done in the last two years.
In conclusion, it is good to know that FIIRO is going down this memory lane to support the federal government in various aspects of the economy.
