Global food awareness organization ProVeg International has announced the opening of its first office in Nigeria to help Food system transformation It is the third fastest growing country in the world in terms of population.
“Our policy work will push for a national strategy that will implement a better food system.”
As a new food awareness organization in the country, Proveg Nigeria will promote the benefits of a healthy and climate-friendly diet by showcasing the deliciousness of plant-based foods, joining the global team in promoting the replacement of animal consumption by 50% with alternative proteins. By 2040.
In 2021, ProVeg launched the ProVeg Africa Accelerator, planting the seeds of the plant-based movement across the continent.
Proveg Nigeria’s new country director, Hakeem Zimo, said: “I’m really excited about the opening of the Proveg Nigeria office and the impact we will have in raising awareness of the need to transform the food system to help people make a healthy transition. , more climate-friendly food.”
Plant-based style
According to Proveg, Nigeria’s meat consumption will increase by more than 300% in the next two decades as the country’s population doubles by 2050 (it will become the third most populous country). However, a 2022 study showed high demand and consumer acceptance of plant-based meat in several African countries, particularly Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt.
In Nigeria, ProVeg’s team will travel across the country to promote plant-based options, from the coastal city of Lagos – with its 25 million inhabitants – to the Sahel region, serving regional meals made with plants in markets, streets, schools and hospitals. .
Proveg Chef Bola Adeyanju, an ambassador for Chef for Change, will demonstrate how easy and delicious it is to incorporate plant-based proteins into traditional Nigerian cuisine.
“You can make all the typical Nigerian dishes like Suya, Asun, even Nkwobi and stews like Egusi and Efo Riro and of course the popular Nigerian jollof rice with fried meats in a plant-based style. We will cook these meals – perhaps at a market or university near you – or tell us where we should come and then get a taste of how great plant-based living can be,” commented Adeyanju.
Benefits for people
The group is already conducting outreach in schools, churches and mosques, and has found plant-based options on buks (street food vendors), Proveg explains.
ProVeg Nigeria will also collaborate with businesses such as Veggie Victory, ranked among the FoodTech 500 leading companies globally, to help develop the country’s plant-based ecosystem.
“Most likely to benefit from this transition are people in the Global South for whom land pressures from animal agriculture have forced them off their land. Our policy work will push for a national strategy that fosters food innovation and implements a better food system, particularly in the plant-based egg, milk and protein spaces,” Zimo continued.