NOUN Raises Alarm On Worms Threatening Nigeria’s Food Security

A prof of Nematology from the National Open University of Nigeria successful (NOUN), Monioluwa Omolara Olaniyi, has unraveled the satellite beneath the ungraded aboveground wherever “little known, yet devastating” to plant-parasitic nematodes usually onslaught roots, weaken crops, and unfastened gateways to diseases.
Olaniyi, who works successful the Department of Biological Sciences, stated this portion presenting the NOUN’s 36th inaugural lecture titled, “Managing Plant Worm Adversaries: Safeguarding the Environment, Sustaining Our Daily Bread,” astatine the office of the assemblage successful Abuja.
‘According to a property connection by Ibrahim Sheme, Director, Media and Publicity, she explained however these works nematodes were adversaries and however they commonly stunt growth, trim yields, and erode farmers’ incomes, peculiarly successful staple crops that anchor Nigerian diets and livelihoods.

The erstwhile Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Technology, Innovation and Research (TIR) astatine NOUN explained that from vegetables and cereals to tubers and legumes, nematode harm “can beryllium soundless and chronic, often misdiagnosed arsenic nutrient deficiency oregon drought stress.”

Olaniyi gave a past of her world travel and decades of probe successful nematology, focusing connected plant-parasitic worms, explaining however her enactment aligns with the United Nations SDGs, peculiarly Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Goal 13 (Climate Action), and Goal 15 (Life connected Land).

To this end, the prof highlighted however clime variability, intensive monocropping, and unhygienic seed/planting worldly compound the problem, allowing nematode populations to physique up and persist crossed seasons.

“This underscored a important message: effectual absorption begins with close diagnosis, workplace hygiene and strategies that enactment with the ecosystem alternatively than against it,” she said.

The lecturer presented ongoing probe connected managing works worm adversaries done sustainable and environmentally affable approaches, detailing methods that trim the dependence connected harmful pesticides, beforehand biologic control, and safeguard ecosystems portion ensuring farmers’ livelihoods.

She besides touched connected the proviso of probe infrastructure astatine the NOUN arsenic an Open and Dsitance Learning (ODL) instauration and acknowledged the enactment of successive vice-chancellors of the assemblage who person built upon the foundations laid by their predecessors.

In her closing remarks, Olaniyi expressed gratitude to the NOUN, her family, mentors, colleagues, and probe collaborators, portion reaffirming her committedness to advancing nematology successful Nigeria and contributing to planetary nutrient security.

Earlier successful his opening remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the NOUN, Professor Olufemi Peters, underscored the value of inaugural lectures successful the intelligence beingness of the university, describing them arsenic a level wherever professors stock the extent of their assistance and contributions to knowledge.