U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) has hosted its annual ‘Nigeria: Now 2024’ conference in Lagos, Nigeria. With participants from the industry, the potential to utilize soy in the animal feed sector to improve food access was among the topics that were discussed at the conference.
Agribusiness leaders, U.S. Soy leadership, and experts gathered in Lagos, Nigeria for the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC)’s annual ‘Nigeria: Now 2024’ conference on June 4. Topics included the importance of sustainable food systems to achieve food and nutrition security, innovation and technology used by U.S. Soy farmers to increase productivity, and the potential for utilization of soy in the animal feed sector to improve access to food for many in Nigeria.
Reflecting on U.S. Soy and Nigeria’s partnership, Jim Sutter, CEO of USSEC, said: “U.S. Soy recognizes the incredible resilience, grit and dedication of Nigeria’s people. We look forward to further strengthening our partnerships and trust in trade to achieve our shared vision of a vibrant and food-secure future for Nigeria’s expanding population.”
Nigeria is growing, with 50 percent of its population under the age of 191 and a current GDP of $472.62 billion. However, food production has not kept pace with the population surge.
Commenting on how U.S. Soy can help bridge the gap, Lance Rezac, Chairman at USSEC, added: “U.S. soybean farmers are leveraging the power of innovation and technology to produce more while reducing our environmental impact. We are also committed to cultivating meaningful relationships with our U.S. Soy customers globally and being here in Nigeria underscores that commitment.”
The Global Hunger Index also ranks Nigeria 102 out of 125 countries2 demonstrating the need for urgent action to enable reliable food systems. “We are in Nigeria with Nigeria” emphasized Kevin Roepke, Regional Director – South Asia and SubSaharan (SAASSA) Africa at USSEC. “By being guided by the principles of comparative advantage, Nigeria holds the power to unlock its true potential.”
Nigeria: Now’s speakers included Anne Meis, Vice Chair, Nebraska Soybean Board, Bill Bayliss, Director, United Soybean Board; Mark Read, Director, Illinois Soybean Association; H.E Biodun Oyebanji, Executive Governor of Ekiti State; Dr. Ayo Oduntan, Group CEO, AMO Group Nigeria; and Dr. Moses Arokoyo, President; Nigerian Veterinary and Medical Association
USSEC’s Soy Excellence Center (SEC) in Nigeria also hosted its annual Global Advisory Panel and Regional Advisory Council Meeting. Since 2020, the SEC in Nigeria has trained more than 2000 early-to-mid career professionals across SEC’s various learning tracks including aquaculture, poultry, feed milling and agronomy. With initiatives like SEC, USSEC aims to develop the next generation of protein solvers also known as “Tomorrow Solvers” in emerging markets around the world. These steps contribute towards USSEC’s mission of uplifting and nourishing the communities with which it collaborates, according to the council.
1Statista: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1121317/age-distribution-of-population-in-nigeria-by-gender/
22023: Global Hunger Index: https://www.globalhungerindex.org/nigeria.html