University Professor Warns Nigerians Against Consumption of Catfish Pepper Soup

A Professor of biotechnology at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Sylvia Uzochukwu, has warned Nigerians against unrestrained consumption of catfish pepper soup.


Uzochukwu, who said this while delivering the 41st inaugural lecture of the institution, said that there were a lot of health dangers inherent in the unrestrained consumption of catfish. This, she said, was because catfish lacks the much-needed omega3 oil that she claimed, was good for health.

Rather than eat catfish, she urged Nigerians to eat sardine, which, according to her, contained high concentration of omega 3 oil. In the lecture titled “Biotechnology Capacity Building: The Gateway to Food Security,” Uzochukwu also canvassed for improved food security through biotechnology, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. The two zones, she said, accounted for almost 90 per cent of the undernourished peoples of the world.

She also lamented Africa’s failure to join the green revolution, as well as the new gene revolution. This, she said, could be done by investing more on agricultural research and innovation. Uzochukwu noted that at present, 29 countries in the world have adopted the use of genetically modified crops, adding that this is acceptable because it offer higher yields, less chemicals and labour input, soil conservation and more nutritious food, resulting in increased wealth, cheaper food, cleaner and safer environment and a healthier population.