DG Lists Kilishi As A Major Research Breakthrough In 33-Years

There was a mixture of anger and laughter at the Nigerian Senate on Monday when the Director-General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, RMRDC, Professor Hussain Ibrahim listed kilishi production as a research success in 33 years.

Ibrahim, who appeared before the Senate Committee on Science and Technology to brief the senators on the activities of his agency, caused a stir when he said the Kilishi technology was the only major breakthrough it had successfully developed for commercial use.

Kilishi is a locally spiced roasted meat made of beef, and it is very popular in the northern part of Nigeria.

The Chairman of the Senate panel, Senator Uche Ekwunife, had asked the DG to tell Nigerians what specific raw material the agency had successfully produced in the country in partnership with other research institutes.

An elated Ibrahim proudly told the panel that despite its lack of laboratory, the 33-year-old agency had succeeded in producing the local meat delicacy for commercial production as part of the agency’s breakthrough.

He said, “We have developed two varieties of Sorghum. We collaborated with agricultural research institutes, pharmaceutical industries because we produce ethanol from it and that is the basic raw material for the production of sanitisers. “Also from the same Sorghum, we developed other products like Glucose syrup, livestock feeds, material for breweries, and starch… In our 30 years of research activities, we are still the largest research Institute. But to be candid with you, we are making progress. “For now, we have developed technology to optimise Kilishi production. Research activities take time.”