MOUAU VC Warns of Public Health Risk, Says “Food Without Safety Is a Health Catastrophe” at 70th Inaugural Lecture
The Vice-Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Ursula Ngozi Akanwa, has issued a strong warning over the rising consumption of unsafe food in Nigeria, declaring that food security without safety amounts to a “looming public health catastrophe.”
Philip22
The Vice-Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Ursula Ngozi Akanwa, has issued a strong warning over the rising consumption of unsafe food in Nigeria, declaring that food security without safety amounts to a “looming public health catastrophe.”
She made the assertion on April 15, 2026, during the university’s 70th Inaugural Lecture delivered by Ejikeme Nwachukwu, a scholar in Food, Industrial and Environmental Public Health Microbiology.
In her address titled “Microbial Food Safety and Health Implications: A Challenge to Food Security,” Akanwa stressed that food security must go beyond availability and affordability to include safety, quality, and nutritional integrity. She warned that food systems that fail on safety standards risk becoming direct channels for disease transmission and mortality.
She stated that “food without safety is not food security, but a health catastrophe,” urging policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders to adopt a holistic food systems approach that prioritizes public health protection alongside productivity.
The Vice-Chancellor commended the inaugural lecturer for drawing attention to microbial risks in food systems, noting that foodborne pathogens remain a growing threat requiring stronger surveillance mechanisms, improved hygiene standards, and sustained scientific intervention.
The event attracted academics, researchers, students, and stakeholders across agriculture and health sectors, reinforcing MOUAU’s positioning as a key research hub for food safety and agricultural innovation.
Dignitaries in attendance included the Chairman of the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue, Udochukwu Ogbonna, and the Registrar of Abia State University, Acho Elendu, alongside senior academics from the University of Port Harcourt and University of Uyo.
The lecture further reinforced growing institutional emphasis on integrating food safety science into Nigeria’s broader food security strategy, with MOUAU positioning itself at the center of research-driven policy advocacy in the sector.
