The second edition of NIFST virtual conference tagged “Robotic Food Processing” was held on Monday 18th MAY 2020. The conference had 483 registrants and about half of this number participated. The highlights of the conference were the presentations by the duo of Prof. Michael Ngadi of the Department of Bioresource Engineering McGill University, Macdonald Canada; and Ms Blessing Onojeide a Food Safety Consultant and past National Publicity Secretary of NIFST.
The conference showcased the advancement of artificial intelligence in the various sectors of the food industry. The presentations emphasized that application of artificial intelligence in food processing systems is inevitable in the new normal. Adoption of robotic food processing may have its shortcoming with the potential cost implication and negative effect on socio-economic livelihoods, but participants were convinced that it is a worthy long-term investment. In terms of readiness of Nigeria to log on to the emerging demand of this new normal, conference identified the infrastructure deficit in the country as a huge hurdle. The other major bane being the lack of skill culture in the training and practice of Food Science & Technology in the country. While we hope for the political will that will fix infrastructure deficit in the country, the conference challenged NIFST as a professional body to catalyze skill-up action in the Nigerian Food Processing Ecosystem. NIFST should take ownership of how the future Food Scientists and Technologist are trained, such that they are aligned with the technologies that will make them employable and equipped to cope in the new normal. Participants were unequivocal on the need for a review of the Food Science & Technology curriculum; funding the younger generation in research focus on application of AI in Agric and Food Science & Technology is a smart investment. Furnishing research laboratories and provision of 24 h power in our tertiary institutions is a leadership battle that must be won.
Pls find below, links to presentations at the Conference for your reading pleasure.
Artificial Intelligence in Food Processing Systems M.Ngadi >>> Download
Robotic Food Process & Systems How ready is Nigeria >>> Download
Otherwise we invite you to watch the recorded event on NIFST TV below.
Sir, may we have the downloadeables for the first conference presentations? Thank you
Sent to your email.
Good evening Sir, i’m also interested in getting downloadable files of the first conference presentations… Thanks in anticipation
visit https://www.nifst.org or collect the link from your friend
Good evening sir, I really enjoyed the webinar as a young woman pursuing my career in Food Science and Technology. Can i get a mentor in the area discussed (Robotics and artificial intelligence in Food Processing).Currently doing my masters and I want to have a direction to what the future holds
Dear Adiora,
Are u based here in Nigeria or in diaspora? There are currently no expert in robotic food processing in Nigeria. This is a huge GAP and the reason we brought it so young NIFSTers can begin to engage with the future. I can take you on as a mentee although my area of specialisation in Starch Chemistry but I am a leadership and performance management facilitator on the side. One course I will advise you try to take on after ur MSc is called PLC i.e. Programmable Logic Control. Google it and you can feed me back at [email protected]