A great day it is today Thursday 20th August 2020 when the foundation of a promising relationship between NIFST- Nigerian Institute of Food Science & Technology (www.nifst.org) and NBTI (National Board for Technology Incubation) was laid. This was achieved at the courtesy call of NIFST on the South-West Zonal Director of the Board, Dr. Julie O. Momah. The meeting evolved roadmaps to strategic and sustainable collaboration between the two organizations towards the common goal of excellence in the practical science and business operations of food value addition. A proposal is being developed to activate actionable objectives in the strategic collaboration. A NBTI Lagos NIFST branch is in the pipeline and a delegation comprising staff and SMEs incubates under the network of NBTI shall be attending the 44th National Conference of NIFST holding in Lagos from 14th-15th October 2020.

The meeting agreed on the following possibilities among other things discussed:

1.         A NIFST-NBTI collaboration can institutionalize certificated trainings and workshops for SMEs and incubates of the Board with respect to ethical science, food safety, process qualification, GMP, HSE etc.

2.         NIFST should send in training calendar to NBTI within the next few days for the latter’s consideration and necessary action towards 1 above.

3.         A NIFST-NBTI technical network of professionals in sensory science, food microbiology, food engineering, quality control etc to offer solution to practical challenges of the SMEs or incubates.

4.         An engaging challenge of the SMEs is raw material handling and management. NIFST can fill the gap by providing a safe PRODUCE STORE as a soft landing for SMEs to procure certified raw materials. 

5.         A NIFST-NBTI session at annual conference of NIFST

6.         NBTI-NIFST network can become a stakeholder with Chamber of Commerce & Industry across the Country. 

7.         NIFST look forward to Food Science & Technology graduates using NBTI’s facilities at little or no cost to manufacture their products.

A NIFST-NBTI webinar series for SME sectoral engagements with incubates of NBTI across the Country can midwife the above possibilities.