AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
Experts in the Circular Plastic Economy sector have called for the enforcement of regulations in a bid to address the growing challenges of plastic pollution in the land.
The experts spoke recently at the opening of the second Stakeholders’ Engagement Workshop on Circular Plastic Economy Innovation Hub in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The circular plastic economy innovation project is sponsored by the British Council in partnership with the Pan African University, Life and Earth Sciences Institute, University of Ibadan; De Montfort University, Leicester; Co-Creation Hub; Northumbria University, Newcastle and Staffordshire University, UK.
According to Prof. Muyiwa Oyinlola, Principal Investigator in the project, who is from De Montfort University, Leicester, the project is aimed at building the capacity of Africans to develop local solutions in a bid to solve problems of plastic pollution.
This, he said, would help in checkng importation which may result in capital flight.
Oyinlola said that “We want Africans to build the capacity of Africans to solve Africa’s challenges. One of the ways to do that is through our universities.
“This is one of the activities that we are doing which is bringing stakeholders together for us to have solutions that can result in systemic changes and so we need to collaborate across different boundaries, across sectors and people.”
The don added that government should develop policies and regulations and also offer incentives to consumers and innovators to address the problem of plastic waste generation.
Prof. Titilayo Akinlabi, Co-Principal Investigator from Northumbria University, Newcastle, explained that in the first phase, innovation hubs were established in four universities in Nigeria, namely Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; and University of Lagos, Akoka.
Akinlabi said, “This is the second in the series for the stakeholders’ engagement meeting. It is expected that all the stakeholders come together once every year to review what they have done, what we are doing and where we want to go. Prof. Oyinlola alluded to what we have done so far with respect to the last 18months. This is phase 2.
“We want to get these hubs well established, grounded and fully sponsored for them to deliver on their goals as they have special areas they are looking at, from crushing of the PET bottles to melting and extruding materials to fine-tuning it into filaments to fit into the 3D printer.
“UNN is looking into how to use electrical waste materials to build a 3D printer. So far, all of them are still at the preliminary stages. We are reviewing the work that has been done and we are looking at being fully established with getting support from academia, students and early career researchers.”
Akinlabi stressed the need for the government and the stakeholders to develop sustainable means of combating metal waste constituting about 574 million tonnes globally.
The Deputy Director, PAULESI, Prof. Michael Oladunjoye, expressed optimism that the workshop would birth new collaboration models and strengthen partnerships to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the circular plastic economy sector.
Oladunjoye said, “We also believe that the project would be the baseline of innovative and sustainable ideas that will proffer long-lasting solutions to the danger of plastic waste disposal in developing countries.”
Jude Adejuwon, Co-Creation Hub official in charge of Innovations, emphasised the need to incorporate the industry into the project and ensure collaboration that would translate the outcomes of the project into products that are adoptable for solving the plastic menace in Africa.
