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The Department of Human Nutrition is
one of the youngest departments in the Faculty of Medicine,
being recognised as a full department in 1976. It had,
however, been in existence since 1963 when it started
as the Food Science and Applied Nutrition Unit in the
Faculty.
Between 1963 and 1976, the Unit was
responsible for carrying out Food Consumption Studies
all over the country and for training students from
all over the world for the Joint University of London
and University of Ibadan Certificate and Postgraduate
Diploma in Nutrition.
As the only Department of Nutrition
in the country, the Department �s activities cover the
whole country and beyond. It is recognised by WHO as
the main centre for nutritional studies in Africa.
The Department offers the following
programmes:
- B. Sc. (Human Nutrition). A 3-year programme to
produce nutritionists and dietitians.
- One-year M.Sc. (Human Nutrition) for students with
a first or second class degree in Nutrition or associated
subjects.
- M.Phil. (Human Nutrition).
- Ph.D. (Human Nutrition).
Areas of specialisation in the Department
include Food Consumption Studies, Public Health Nutrition,
Nutritional Biochemistry, International Nutrition and
Food Analysis. Through the generous donation of Cadbury�s
(Nigeria) Ltd., an Amino acid analyser and an Atomic
Absorption Spectrophotometer have been procured to strengthen
the analytical and laboratory activities of the Department.
Apart from the programme offered by
the Department, there is close co-operation with the
departments of Agricultural Economics, Animal Science,
Sociology, Psychology, Health Education, Food Technology,
Preventive and Social Medicine and Nursing. Courses
in Nutrition are offered by the Department to students
in the B. Sc. (Nursing), B.Sc. (Food Technology), Master
in Public Health (Health Education), Advanced Diploma
in Health Education as well as to undergraduate and
postgraduate students of the Medical School (MBBS and
FNMC).
Current research programmes in the Department
include:
- WHO co-ordinated Studies on Volume and Content of
Breast-milk and the factors that affect them.
- Food Consumption Studies of communities.
- Composition of Nigerian diets as eaten.
- Trace elements and Nutrition.
- Energy use in the Nigerian Environment.
Prospects of employment for graduates
abound at state, national and international levels.
Dietitians are needed in hospitals all over the country.
Nutritionists and Public Health Nutritionists are needed
in state and national departments of Health, Agriculture
and Community Development. There is a great demand by
International Organisations� WHO, FAO and others�for
all types of Nutritionists. Graduates can also work
in industries and Standard Organisations on Food Control,
Toxicology and Standardisation.
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