NiWARD Steering Committee

Dr Omo Ohiokpehai is a nutritionist, agro-processor and a value chain specialist with more than thirty years of experience in agro-processing and nutrition fields and a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (FNIFST); promoting nutrition-sensitive-agriculture, nutrition and food security. Omo has significant food security, drought relief and nutrition intervention experiences with the governments of Botswana, Kenya and Nigeria. In recent times Omo was Consultant and Technical Adviser to former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, 2011-2015. In Nigeria, from 1972 to 1982, Omo served as a Trainee Research Officer to Principal Scientist at the Cereal Research Institute, Moorplanation, Ibadan, Nigeria where she was involved in cereals and legume utilisation and nutrition education. She was also a lecturer at the Faculty of Agriculture, Home Economis Unit, University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, Further she was the Research Coordinator for North Brewery PLC, Kano, Nigeria. At North Brewery, Omo was charged with fast tracking the change over of the processing of alcoholic drinks to non-alcoholics to improve nutrition, because Kano Brewery was built in a staunch muslim state. Omo’s work focused on training and developt of nutritious foods for all ages and health education, food quality, food safety and hygiene, and food processing training to support income generation for women and youths and school children at USAID-IYCN program. Also, I was the Team Leader for the introduction of IYCF at the Community and Facility training package for information sharing. She conducts demand-driven research for development on technologies which contributes to better nutrition and wellness and food security by reducing postharvest losses, maintaining quality of finished products. She led the Sorghum Transformation Value Chain Team under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) and established a multidiscilinary program with the use of sorghum to scale-up-nutrition (SUN), in the conflict and difficult areas of the north of Nigeria. Omo advised the Minister of Agriculture on matters relating to improvement of productivity, nutrition and processing, school feeding and the Transformative Partnership for High Energy Foods. In Botswana, Omo was managing the successful Botswana country’s school feeding program.

Mrs Medinat Oluwatoyin Adetunji is an Agricultural Economics/Extension and Community Development expert and  currently a Doctoral Student of Public Policy and Administration. She has over 29 years experience at Technical and policy levels e.g. Technical Adviser, (Cassava Value Chain) to the Minister of agriculture (2011-2015). National Programme Officer- National Special Programme for Food Security,  Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo  and President Umoru  Yar’dua. Agricultural extension officer and Head Rural Institution Development, Lagos state Agricultural Development Programme (1988-2003). She’s currently, the Consultant Cassava Value Chain (AfDB) in Liberia.

Dr. Oredipe, Ph.D (Agric Economics). Worked for 24 years in Federal Civil Service as Agricultural Officer and National Coordinator of the Second National Fadama Development Project (FADAMA II and the ADB funded Multinational Nerica Rice Dissemination Project. He was the Senior Operation Officer in the World Bank, 2009-2011. He served as Senior Technical Adviser to the Honourable Minister of Agriculture during 2011 to 2013. He is presently the Senior Agriculture Economist at the World Bank with responsibility for the Fadama Additional Financing and Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme projects.