Voices that travel from lecture hall to policy table.

In his 62nd Inaugural Lecture, “Food as Medicine, Food as Poison: Navigating the Double-Edged Plate,” Professor Olutayo Sunday Shokunbi offers a compelling and timely interrogation of what truly sits on the Nigerian plate. Drawing on more than two decades of research across Nigeria and South Africa, he advances a bold thesis: Nigeria already possesses, within its indigenous food systems, the complete nutritional and pharmacological toolkit needed to address its burden of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases. What is missing is not science, but collective action.

The lecture unfolds in three interlocking sections. “Food as Medicine” presents original mineral composition data for over 141 commonly consumed Nigerian foods and reveals the sobering reality that the average Nigerian adult consumes less than half the daily calcium required, yet nearly double the recommended sodium. “Food as Poison” exposes the other edge of the plate, examining heavy metals in staples, microplastics in bottled water and table salt, calcium-carbide ripening and pesticide residues, then offering practical, household-level mitigation strategies. “Food as Pharmacy” showcases the bioactive promise of Nigerian plant biodiversity, including a patented complementary food (GROWSTAR) for malnourished children, the anti-obesity activity of Phragmanthera incana, the anti-ulcer potency of Phyllanthus amarus, the lactogenic and uterine-cleansing properties of Pentadiplandra brazzeana, and the anti-diabetic effects of the Doum palm fruit.

Weaving Yoruba proverbs, scripture, clinical evidence and policy prescriptions into a single coherent narrative, the lecture moves beyond academic exposition to issue a clarion call to governments, industry, scientists and households. For anyone concerned with public health, food safety, indigenous knowledge or Africa’s nutritional future, this is essential listening.