NFTRC hosted a delegation from National Defence College, Nigeria-Abuja.

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Through Botswana Defence Force NFTRC recently opened its doors to National Defence College (NDC), Nigeria-Abuja. The purpose of the visit was to understand the mandate of NFTRC and how the centre contributes to the economic growth of Botswana. The delegation was welcomed by NFTRC, Food Technology Research Scientist Dr Minah Mosele who took them down through the history of NFTRC and how it has evolved over the years.

Dr Minah Mosele presented about NFTRC mandate, products and services. She covered issues of using food processing to curve post-harvest loss hence reducing country`s rising import bill. She also presented about focusing on the readily available foods, which are the indigenous foods that has an untapped potential.

She shared NFTRC Strategic networks and summed up that since NFTRC inception over 100 products has been developed and some of them that NFTRC pride itself with are Tsabana- supplementary food that is given to the under-fives nationwide regardless of their location and status and the ones currently produced by NFTRC`s commercial wing called the National Agro Processing (NAPro).

As the troupe toured NFTRC laboratories they admitted that they have a similar facility in Nigeria that does almost same work as NFTRC called National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), but it has extra rights of checking the food on the market and calls it out if its of bad quality or by-passed standards and they were informed that in National Food Control Laboratory under the Ministry of Health and Wellness has those rights.

They advised that as NFTRC goes around soliciting for better food technologies networks they may get in touch with NAFDAC as they will also inform their country about what they saw in Botswana in relation to food matters.

NDC Brigadier General Emeka Victor Onumajuru thanked NFTRC for its warm welcome citing that since they arrived in Botswana they had exceptional hospitality at all the organisations they visited. He shared that NDC was opened in 1992 as the highest military learning centre and since its inception 2144 officers graduated from it. He clarified that the college has a strategic research unit that researches about internationally relations, security, peace keeping and developments.

Brigadier General Onumajuru said that, “the college has ten teams in Africa that are currently on the same mission to learn about the dynamics of international relations, developments and see how they can affect or benefit Nigeria’’.

He said that it is rightful for them to be in Botswana because Botswana is a good example of good governance with a booming financial growth therefore they believe that all these is done through strategies or initiatives that they can tap from and better their country.

As a close up Brigadier General Onumajuru presented a token of appreciation in a form of NDC logo to Dr Mosele stating that it’s a norm for them to leave their footprints wherever they go so that once they leave more and better strategic partnerships may be natured without being forgotten.

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