July 29, 2010

Nigeria is set to learn new skills and strategies from an international conference on soy technologies to be held in Westin Grand, Cape Town.

Facilitators of the conference in Nigeria, Diptons Investments Limited, said Nigeria stands to boost its soy industry by learning how leading global companies are improving available nutrition with new technologies and strategies. Experts drawn from across the globe would deliver lectures on various topics and explore the uses of soy as food, feed and bio-fuel opportunities for soy in Africa and other emerging markets.

The conference which holds at the Westin Grand in Cape Town shall also seek to impact positively on participants on how leading global companies are improving available nutrition with new technologies and strategies. Managing Partner of Diptons Investments, Ike Willie-Nwobu, said the soy sub-sector in Nigeria has suffered neglect in past years but the conference would provide a window of opportunity for farmers and soy industries in the country to take advantage of.

"Over the years, the soy industry in Nigeria has been impeded by inadequate funding, scarce expertise and poor technology that have resulted to the abounding potentials of soy which has remained largely untapped in Nigeria.

The seminar and workshop will present a unique opportunity to launch the much desired soy derivatives revolution in Nigeria as issues and topics on prospects for increasing soy production in Africa and Nigeria as well as the opportunities for soy in small and medium enterprises shall be discussed", Nwobu said. He said that the conference can enable Nigeria boost soy production, generate employment and ensure food security and export the commodity for revenue.

A statement issued by Diptons Investments Limited said the potential for profitable large and medium scale soy production in Africa and Nigeria would be evaluated, just as challenges posed by limited land, crop input and water resources would be efficiently utilised.

The use of technological tools to maximise emerging markets, integration of nutritious soy ingredients into regionally acceptable foods as well as the usage of global soy and soy foods industry to increase availability of soya for nutritional assistance would also be enhanced.