By Obanu, Zak A
With the current stress on rural development emphasising provisions of infrastructural and
municipal utilities, proliferation is envisaged of small- and medium- scale industries including food
processing industries close to raw material sources. This is expected to lead to strong organisational links
between raw material production and processing that is expected in many instances to integrate food
processing industries and agriculture into agro-industrial complexes in 21" century Nigeria for obvious
benefits. This paper has discussed the inherent perishability of the foods that form the raw materials of food
processing industries as well as the quantitative and qualitative losscs before, during and after processing
and/or storage with the attendant farin-gate or post-harvest technologies to reduce food losses. Food
preservation and processing methods have also been discussed with their varied applications1combinations
and diversity of products resulting from diverse food processing industries of varied complexity and scales of
operation.
The performance of the food industry in 20Ih century Nigeria was examined with a forecast of
greater proliferation of small- and medium- scale industries employing appropriate processing technologies
and machines suited to local resources and skills. The practices and merits of food storage and packaging
were reviewed and the need was highlighted for research and development of local storage and packaging
materials and practices. The paper ended with ten policy implications and strategies to enhance food
processing and food industries if Nigeria is to achieve national food security and generate adequate foreign
exchange from food processing in the 2 Is' century to become self-sufficient and a world power as expected.