BY AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The Pan African University of Life and Earth Sciences Institute, University of Ibadan, in partnership with Co-Creation Hub and DeMontfort University Leicester, UK has indicated the resolve to drive the plastic economy innovation through a creative innovation hub across Africa.
The initiative, titled, ‘Circular Plastic Economy Innovation Hub,’ funded by the British Council, according to the Director of PAULESI, Prof. Esther Akinlabi, is targeted at investigating how universities can drive a thriving ecosystem to support and develop waste to wealth ventures.
Contrary to the unwholesome practice in which waste plastics litter and create a nuisance to the environment, the university don stated that through technology, waste could seamlessly be transformed into wealth for every nation that embraced the initiative.
Reiterating the need for universities across Africa and beyond to collaborate on research for breakthroughs in science and technology, the director of PAULESI said that the consortium had resolved to take the bull by the horn in creating a friendly and enabling eco-system for the good of Africa, and the global community.
A statement by the consortium, made available to journalist, on Friday, read that “This project will evaluate how key players can combine their effort to build capacity and strengthen the possibility of innovations happening in society.
“Such synergies bring about technical efficiency which is an opportunity to leverage digital transformation to leapfrog some of the most critical sectors of the circular economy in Africa. Building a culture of innovation in universities is paramount for these possibilities and a budding ecosystem provides an encouraging environment for innovation to occur.
“An enabling eco-system will help create, transform, and communicate knowledge therefore, improving student employability and nurturing innovations for converting waste into useful products.”
It listed other objectives to include identifying and mapping out “relevant stakeholders, institutions and enabling conditions for a thriving circular plastic economy ecosystem, understand the skills and environment needed in universities to foster innovation and entrepreneurship for the circular plastic economy, and develop suitable capacity building and collaboration models for fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the circular plastic economy.”
The target beneficiaries are the university students – particularly research students (MSc/PhD), and/or students studying environmental management or any related course of study. Others are residents of the various communities, government, organizations such as waste management companies, and private organizations with waste management/recycling challenges.
Mr Bosun Tijani, Chief Executive Officer of CCHUB, International, while speaking on the relevance of the project, said, “The circular plastic economy has the capacity to deliver benefits such as reducing pressure on the environment, improving the security of the supply of raw materials, increasing competitiveness between businesses, stimulating innovation, boosting economic growth, and creating jobs.
“The effort of the Circular Plastic Economy Innovation Hub will contribute immensely to the achievement of these in Africa. It would serve as a platform that connects different relevant stakeholders across Africa as they seek to understand the skills and environment needed in universities to foster innovative thinking and entrepreneurship as well as develop the right capacity and collaboration models for driving innovation in the circular plastic economy.
“In recent decades, the production and consumption of plastics in Africa have increased owing to increasing applications that rely on the good characteristics of plastics such as lightweight, strength, durability, affordability, corrosion resistance, and low production costs.
“If nothing is done to reduce this menace of plastic waste, it would continue to cause our landfills to overflow, choke rivers, and also threaten the marine ecosystems.”
Prof. Muyiwa Oyinlola of DeMontfort University stated that “Plastic pollution is one of the biggest challenges we face today. It poses significant environmental and health problems.
“Poor infrastructure and inadequate waste management systems in Nigeria means improper disposal is widespread. This leads to contamination of the food chain, for example, open disposal will result in microplastics leaking into soils and water bodies, which will then be transferred to crops and/or livestock, ultimately, finding their way to the human system through our diet.
“Furthermore, due to improper disposal, land spaces, drainages and pipes are filled up, resulting in other environmental issues such as floods.
“The Circular Plastic Innovation Hub project, funded by the British Council, is a significant step in providing solution(s) to the plastic pollution challenge. The project will contribute to developing skills as well as creating an enabling environment for innovations that will significantly add value to plastic waste (waste to wealth).
“An example, converting waste plastics to feedstock for additive manufacturing (3D Printing). The project will lead to a more organised, strengthened and enabling ecosystem which would help create, transform and communicate knowledge, therefore, improving student employability and nurturing innovations for converting waste into useful products.”
