The Role of Indigenous and Underutilized Crops in The Enhancement of Health and Food Security in Nigeria

Abstract

All over the world, a number of plant species that serve as source of food are indigenous and underutilized. Many of these food types apart from forming part of what have come to be known as functional foods, possess immense health, nutritional and economic benefits. In most rural settings, these plants help in the fight against poverty by reducing it. Indigenous and underutilized crops help in the improvement and enhancement of the health status of local populations. Nigeria has a rich resource of indigenous and underutilized crops, which possess health or physiological benefits over and above the normal nutritional value they provide. Also, indigenous or underutilized crops possess valuable micronutrients essential for human health. This paper reviews available literature on indigenous and underutilized crops in Nigeria and tries to answer the complex question regarding which of the numerous food species available should qualify as candidate crops for the future.