Vice-Chancellor

Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Principal Officers

Deans & Directors

Fellow Professors

Staff and Students

My Lords Spiritual and Temporal

Distinguished Guests, especially visiting academics

Respected Ladies and Gentlemen

I am honored and privileged to deliver the 16^th inaugural lecture of Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt. My Department is “Animal Science” which is domiciled in the Faculty of Agriculture—a Faculty distinguished and acclaimed for outstanding achievement in the output of professors in the entire University (currently 12 and counting). This is only natural and proper, Mr. Vice-chancellor, because (as my Sunday school teacher insisted years ago and I agreed entirely) agriculture is God’s first and foremost vocation for mankind – a position with substantial biblical foundation. It is common knowledge that God did not merely assign Adam and Eve to dwell in the Garden of Eden (a garden full of beautiful fruit bearing trees). He also commanded them to cultivate the earthly paradise (Genesis 2:15). Even when they eventually lost their tenancy of the “Elysian” enclave through a devil-inspired rebellion, by eating of the delicious fruits from the tree of life, they did not loose their profession as agriculturists, a heritage they subsequently bequeathed through their sons cain (the crop farmer) and Abel (the livestock farmer) to descendants. This divine foreordination established the basis of man’s intricate relationship with nature.

The Department of Animal Science currently contributes about 50% to the above professorial statistic of the Faculty. These professors are paraded in all the specializations of the discipline. My lecture is the first in the series expected from the department and I am elated and overwhelmed by the pre-emption to so set the ball rolling.

2.0 ANIMAL SCIENCE: EVOLUTION AND PRACTICE

As an information preamble, it may be relevant and valuable in my privileged circumstance to restate that Animal science is the total accumulation of knowledge, involving the feeding, care and management of animals, (including their marketing and the processing of the products) which has been achieved through years of experience and research (Ensminger 1977). With the aid of the discipline, man has been able to beneficially harness the basic utility functions of animals (including birds) into the effective production of food, clothing, power and recreation.History relates that this valued field of agrarian intervention into nature’s processes was initiated when savage man terminated his culture and practice of unrestrained exploitation of animals in the wild as sources food and raiment. The transition to a settled lifestyle gave birth to the culture of placing the welfare of the animals wholly in the hands of man (domestication). The domestication of animals is regarded as the onset of man’s match into the civilized culture. It is known that amongst the primitive men, tribes of animal herders were unrivalled in all spheres of human endeavor just as it is true today that nations of superior and advanced civilization and development.

The captive animals were catered for in terms of food and water in confinement—principles and procedures that minimized physiological and environmental stress factors and facilitated reproductive processes, which then became more predictable. The observed dividends of these welfare practices were high and man was encouraged to consolidate the survival option through selection and the regulation of random breeding processes to achieve animal numbers and types configured to serve specific needs and purposes more appropriately.

These fundamental practices have not changed in our times, except for the on-going refinements taking place in the furnaces of the advances in Science and Technology. Man has therefore not relented in the efforts to produce and reproduce animals with increasing and unceasing efficiency.

3.0 INTRODUCTION

Mr. Vice-Chancellor, although my scientific studies and investigations, both currently and in previous years transverse sundry landscapes of the animal production technology and involved a variety of animal species (domestic and wild), my interest habitually returns home to roost on “Reproductive Physiology”, especially that of the male bird. While aspects of this pre-occupation will remain the mainspring of this presentation, you will, Mr. chairman, grant me the maverick option to do so in the broad context of the ever topical concern to provide adequate food of optimal nutritional merit for an ever growing human population. I have therefore chosen as title to this lecture, “The Alimentary Divide: Feathered Bipeds – A Bridging Causeway.”

We are familiar with the history of a world that was once subdivide into three

Component blocks –the communist, the Non-Communist and the Non-Aligned – during the later years of the 20^th century. The “Third World” terminology was then applicable to the Non-Aligned and mostly less industrialized countries which were often grouped as the “underdeveloped” nations. This designation was subsequently replaced with the term “developing” probably to ease the dolorous connotation and stigma of the of the earlier usage application. with the disintegration of the union of soviet socialist Republic (thanks to Perestroika and Glasnost) and the subdued emphasis on political considerations, economic differences assumed greater prominence as a distinguishing factor between the blocks. This gave rise to the reconfiguration of the global system into two major blocks- the developed and the developing nations, defined by the parameters of technological development, living standards, and alimentation.

I made the choice of the lecture topic to share my anxiety over the persisting and widening aggregate food and nutrition gulf between the two blocks. Similar concerns for the divide have been variously canvassed. Dr. Margaret Mead, a renowned nutrition scientist, for instance, provided a graphic illustration, when she observed that “in a world which each half knows what the other half does, we cannot live with hunger and malnutrition in one part of the world, while people in another part are not only well nourished, but over-nourished”.

The phenomenon of low nutrient (especially protein) consumption represents the most grotesque and debilitating visage of the food crisis currently confronting the developing countries, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa. Of particular concern is the reluctance, manifested by perfunctory attitudes to deal decisively with its challenges despite opportunities offered by available resources, especially those of the potentially advantageous production options. The following intriguing questions pleading for answers have consequently been raised:

¨ Are we helpless and therefore hopeless?

¨ Are we contented with the downsides and other cheerless benchmarks of the seamy side of the capricious divide?

¨ Are resources and technologies in short-supply to justify this state of complacency and contentment?

¨ Are there any prospects for achieving parity in living standards between the developed and the developing economies?

This treatise will attempt to address some of these posers. A brief exploration of the physiognomy and implications of the phenomenon will be provided to afford a better appreciation of the magnitude of the challenges. The feathered bipeds as options of choice for bridging the divide along with some supporting technologies mostly representing our contributions to efforts at widening the frontiers of knowledge, and facilitating the involvement of these species in the process, will be highlighted and discussed.

4.0 AGRICULTURE, HUNGER AND MALNUTRITION:

Mr. Vice-Chancellor, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the right of the people of the world to be free from hunger was reaffirmed by the World Food Summit held in Rome in November 1996. At that conference, sustainable economic growth and its equitable distribution throughout the society were accepted as the long-term response to the problems of poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition. Earlier the International Conference on Nutrition (ICU) in 1992 advocated the domiciliation of peoples nutritional well being at the center of social and economic development efforts. The need for concerted action to channel resources to the needy so as to improve their productive capacities, social opportunities and increased access to food in sustainable way, was also stressed.

The primary function of agriculture in any society, Mr. Chairman, is the production and supply of sufficient food and fiber to satisfy the demands of a given population. Agricultural developments are particularly crucial to the people of sub-Saharan Africa, because of the vital role it plays as a promoter of economic growth, good nutrition, and health. The spiraling trends in human growth with the associated demographic transitions have continued to exert greater pressure on agrarian efforts to accomplish this crucial role. The prime challenge of agriculture, however, lies not just with the production of sufficient food for the rising human statistic, but the provision of foods that are adequate in nutritional requirements for growth and healthy existence. This is the critical linkage between agriculture and nutrition. The ideal of providing sufficient food and adequate nutrition for present and future generations is, however, an intricate and intractable proposition due to the mix of social, cultural, economic, political, geographical, and technological involvements. The variations in national and regional food balance sheet profiles are indications of varying intensities of the efforts and determinations of different nations or regions to tackle these challenges. Such profiles specify nutrients availability (usually the energy and protein compliments) and therefore basically constitute an account of nutritional status and nutrient intakes (ILO 1981).

Malnutrition occurs when there is short-supply of energy, (calories), proteins, and micronutrients or when the nutrients are not in balanced relationships. Although the absence or inadequacy of each specific nutrient in a diet is associated with specific deficiency conditions, those of carbohydrates and proteins are of critical nutritional implications.

Most nations in the developed regions of the world (United States of America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand etc) have attained a high level of sophistication in their food and other production technologies as compared to the situation in the third world countries (e.g. Far East, Near East, Africa and some Latin American countries). Consequently the total per caput food supply, especially those from animal sources, in developed countries exceeds the levels in the developing economies. Comparative data on per capita protein supply, for instance, by major food groups in both regions are as presented in Table 1.

Table 1

Per capita protein supplies by major food groups in developing countries

Per capita protein supply

(g/dy)

Developed Developing* World

Protein source

a) Vegetable protein

Grain 33.4 33.2 33.4

Starchy roots 5.2 2.3 3.2

Pulses, oilseeds, nuts 3.8 11.6 9.0

Vegetables and fruits 3.6 1.8 2.4

b) Animal Protein

Meat a poultry 19.8 3.8 8.0

Eggs 3.3 0.4 1.

Fish 2.4 1.9 2.3

Milk and dairy products 18.5 2.9 7.7

Total 90.0 58.0 68.0

Data source:adapted from J.c Abbot (1966).World protein resources: In Advances in chemistry,57:3.American chemical society, Whashington

*Excludes Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

In Nigeria, specially, various estimates of food availability have consistently

portrayed bleak visages of wide gaps between food production and demand, which became evident from early 1970 (FAO1968). Alarming shortfalls and deficiencies in most staple foods produced in the country have been demonstrated in food balanced sheets computed for different population scenarios from specific periods (Olayemi et al 1986). Igben (2000) drew attention to the rising short-fall in the domestic per capita supply of animal protein in Nigeria between 1985 and 1995, which he estimated at an average of 33% per annum. Unsatisfied demands in both quantity and quality of foods are mainly accountable for increasing under-nutrition and malnutrition in a large segment of the Nigerian population.

5.0 PROTEINS

5.1 Physiological Roles of protein.

Proteins are food nutrients required for body building (growth) and the repair of body tissues. Other physiological functions of proteins include:

Ø synthesis of hormones, nucleoproteins, enzymes and antibodies

Ø maintenance of osmotic pressure

Ø sustenance of neutral reaction of the body (homeostasis)

Ø energy supply (especially when there is an emergency)

Ø activation of reproductive, hereditary and cellular processes.

Carbohydrates (and fats) are the fuel or energy sources of the body. Calorie deficiency, especially when combined with a short-fall in protein supply results in a condition commonly described as protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM).

Proteins obtained from animal sources are of higher nutritional merit than those from vegetable sources because of the differential amino acid complements.

The distinction is further amplified by a number of more precise evaluation criteria which are based on nutritive quality and efficiency of protein utilization in the body (Block and Mitchell 1946). These include:

Ø Digestibility (D)-amount of protein available for absorption (about 97% in animal and 60-70% in vegetable proteins)

Ø Biological Value (BV)-body’s retention o nitrogen contained in ingested protein (about 70-100 % in animal and 40 – 60% in vegetable foods)

Ø Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) –efficiency of body weight gain per gram of nitrogen in the diet (about 2-4 in animal and 1-2 in plants foods

Net Protein Utilization (NPU)-which denotes the availability of nitrogen contained in dietary protein and calculated as the product of BV and D divided by 100(about 70-98 in animals and 40 to 60 in plant food sources).

The major contribution of food of animal origin to the nutrition of man kind can there fore be reckoned in terms of the provision of high quality protein in the diet (Narayana Rao,1973, Monsi,1989).

5.2 Recommended Protein Consumption Levels

The prescribed minimum per capita daily crude protein consumption for the average Nigerian adult for healthy living is in the range of 65-72g (Nigerian National Agriculture Advisory Council 1971;Oyenuga 1975).To obtain the desired N P U for the crude protein consumed, the National Research Council (NRC,1984) further recommends that 28-35g of the prescribed daily protein intake should be derived from animal sources such as meat, eggs and dairy products (milk,cheese,butter etc).The estimated daily per capita protein supply in Nigeria (from all food sources)is about 56g (Table 2)and out of this only an average of 6.56g (Table 3) is contributed from animals sources (i.e.11.71% of available supply)a short-fall of 21-28g.This contrasts with the daily per capita animal protein consumption of 55-72g as applicable in developed nations.

Table 2

Daily per capita calorie and protein supply in Nigeria

(all food sources)

Period/year Energy Protein(g)

(Kcal/kg)

1959-61 2400 51

1963-64 2182 59

1968-69 2199 58

1974-75 2023 -

1976 1876 48

1978 2440 43

Mean 2190 55.8

Data sources: Olayide (1972) and various IBRD reports.

Table 3

Per capita contribution of animal protein to daily protein supply In Nigeria

Year Animal protein per capita/dy(g)

1968 8.60

1975 7.50

1976 5.68

1977 6.20

1978 6.53

1979 6.57

1980 6.30

1985 7.61

1990 6.80

1993 7.08

1998 3.25

Mean 6.56

Data sources: FMA, The Green Revolution – A Livestock Production plan for Nigeria. Final report (1981) and various FAO reports.

5.0 BRIDGING THE DIVIDE

Countries affected by short-falls in food production often resort to food imports of various magnitude to stabilize supplies. For example Nigeria’s meat import rose from 182,090 tonnes in 1982 to 222,000 tonnes in 1984. In 1987, 198,000 tonnes of milk at a cost of USD 70 million and 2,428 tonnes of beef at USD 3.3 million were imported into the country (ILCA, 1991). Nigeria was then on record not just as a net importer of livestock products but also the largest importer of diary products in West Africa (von Massow, 1989). Import intervention, as a classical reaction to the challenges of food insufficiency is, however, frequently short-lived due to limitation in the foreign exchange involvements.

Mr. Vice-Chancellor, Nigeria is endowed with an impressive array of domestic (farm) livestock. Complemented by an abundance of assorted wildlife species and a charitable supply of aquatic resources, the countries can be spared the reproach and travails of the disconsolate aspect of the alimentary divide. There are an estimated 14 million heads of cattle, 22 million sheep, 35 million goats, 3.5 million pigs, 160million poultry and 17 million rabbits in Nigeria’s livestock industry (RIM, 1992; Lufadeju et al., 1995 and Larmode, 1997). This bountiful animal resource base reflects the availability of an incredible capacity for unconstrained satisfaction of the national requirements to bridge the dietary protein gap. To realize the potential afforded by these generous endowments, the animal formations must be ingeniously harnessed and exploited through improvement oriented production strategies that reckon with the potential attributes of each species.

Based on natural characteristics, animals tend to exhibit species variations in their degrees of responsiveness to human interference with their production and reproduction processes. In a third world country like Nigeria, where the food problem has assumed an ominous dimension, a recourse to the most pragmatic and advantageous option to ameliorate the threat, will be both expedient and prudent.

6.0 Advocating For The Feathered Bipeds

The evolution of birds, (the only feathered members of the Animal Kingdom) from reptilian ancestors, some one hundred and sixty million years ago (Table 4), is perhaps one of the most remarkable and best thing that ever happened to mankind. Birds are very fascinating and exciting animals and are particularly admired for the extremely unique characteristics, which have rendered them so valuable to man. Small wonder then, that in the chronology of creation as recorded in Genesis (Gen.1:1-31) birds and sea creatures were reported to have been created before all other animals, including man. The account continues that they were also the only animals (with the exception of man) blessed by God. Elsewhere in the Holy book, copious and frequent references have highlighted the role and value of birds in God’s creative scheme. Noah, the only righteous man in his days , barometrically deployed birds ( the raven and the dove) to ascertain the status of the flood at the end of his forty days in naughtical confinement (Genesis 7:6-18). When the Israelites, in the Desert of Sin deplored and grumbled over the lack of variety, especially the absence of meat in their foods, God, the Master Nutritionist quickly balanced their diet with a bountiful supply of animal protein in the form of myriads of quails (Exodus 16 :2-15). Later in the New Testament, at the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit descended on Him in the form of doves. Subsequently in His public ministrations Christ was to frequently use different kinds of birds symbolically as frames of reference to elucidate His Divine teachings.

Table 4

A Brief Summary of the Fossil History of Bird

(after Colbert, Howard, Rensch, Storer, Wetmore

Geological Era	Geological Time in Years Period since beginning Important events in the of period History of Birds
Cenozoic	Tertiary Quaternary	Recent	10,000	Modern birds. 8600 species. Geographic races differentiated. Passeriformes dominant. Extinction of many Island forms.
		Pleistocene	1,000,000	All modern orders and families of birds represented. Many modern species represented. About 750 fossil species known. Ice age: period of great dispersals and extermination, especially of large ratites. The first men.
		Pliocene	10,000,000	Most modern bird genera probably in existence. Bird species probably reach their maximum numbers. Appearance of moas, striches, tinamous, goatsuckers, phororhacos extinguished.
Age of Birds and mammals		Miocene	25,000,000	The majority of modern families probably in existence. Several modern genera of petrels, falcons, oystercatchers appear. A few extant passerine genera appear. Some families becoming extinct.
		Oligocene	35,000,000	First appearance of albatrosses, shearwaters, hoobies, grebes, strks, plovers, turkeys, pigeons, parrots, kingfishers old world warblers and sparrows. Phorohacoids in south America. Rise of modern Mammals.
		Eocene	65,000,000	Probable period of major evolution in birds. First appearance of 27 families of modern birds, including penguins, pelicans, auks, loons, herons, ibises, rails, cranes, sandpipers, gulls, bustards, grouse, cuckoos, trogons, hornbills, shirkes, swifts, hawks, owls, and vultures. Diatryma, neocathartes gastornis appear. Eleutheromis links carinate ratite birds. Most mammals small and harmless.
Mesozoic	cretaceous		130,000,000	Toothed bird: Hesperonis.
				Ichthyornis, gull-like. First fossils of birds resembling cormorants, geese, and herons. Decline of dinosaurs.