Proximate Composition and Nutritional Evaluation of Soy-Enriched Ogi Produced in Kano State, North West Nigeria

Ogi, a traditional fermented cereal porridge, remains a staple complementary food across many Nigerian households, particularly in the North West geopolitical zone. However, concerns about its low protein content have prompted researchers to explore fortification strategies using locally available legumes. This study evaluated the proximate composition and nutritional quality of soy-enriched ogi produced using varying ratios of maize and soybean (90:10, 80:20, 70:30). Samples were prepared using standard fermentation procedures, and analyses were conducted following Association of Official Analytical Chemists methods. Parameters assessed included moisture, crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, ash, and carbohydrate content. Sensory evaluation was conducted using a nine-point hedonic scale with fifty semi-trained panellists drawn from Bayero University, Kano. Results indicated that soy inclusion at 30 percent significantly increased crude protein content from 7.2 percent to 14.8 percent, while acceptability scores remained above average across all enriched samples. Energy values also increased proportionally with soy inclusion. The study concluded that soy-enriched ogi at a 70:30 ratio offers an acceptable, protein-dense complementary food suitable for child nutrition intervention programmes in North West Nigeria. The findings support broader fortification policies and suggest that community-level processing units can adopt this formulation with minimal additional cost. Further studies on micronutrient profiles and shelf-life stability are recommended. Keywords: ogi, soy fortification, proximate composition, complementary food, North West Nigeria.