Environment: VC advocates technological innovation to manage plastic waste in Nigeria

By Nefishetu Yakubu

The Vice Chancellor, Igbinedion University (IUO), Okada, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, on Monday advocated the use of technological innovations to manage plastic waste crises in Nigeria.

Ezemonye made the call during the university’s College of Natural and Applied Science annual lecture which coincided with the World Environment Day held in Okada, Benin.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of this year’s World Environment Day, is “Solutions to Plastic Pollution”.

Speaking on the topic, Solving Plastic Waste Problems through strategies and Innovation, Ezemonye said, plastics posed environmental pollution problems if not managed.

He called for collective action to stem the menace of plastic pollution in the wake of rapid industrialization and urbanization.

He disclosed that Africa generated plastic waste of approximately 8.5 million tons out of the 380 million tons of plastic waste generated globally, making it a major contributor to the global plastic waste crises.

The vice chancellor noted that about eight million tons of those plastic waste found their way into the ocean, which he said was equivalent to dumping of garbage truck full of plastic into the ocean every minute.

” Africa’s plastic waste generation has reached critical levels and needed urgent attention, using technology and innovations.

“Nigeria generates approximately three million tons of plastic waste annually, making it the highest plastic waste generator in Africa, posing severe threat to the environment and the entire ecosystem.

“The rapid population growth, urbanization and the increasing consumption patterns have contributed to the surge in plastic waste generation in Nigeria.

“Plastic waste also contaminates the soil and disrupt agricultural productivity and posing risk to our food value chains,” he said.

Ezemonye, however, said that the use of technological innovations such as plastic buy – back programme, circular economy of plastics, plastic waste to creative and energy recovery strategies to manage plastic waste would help mitigate the crisis.

According to him, it is the hope that the outcome of the lecture will stimulate further interrogation and provide the impetus for the achievement of the sustainable development goal No.15 which is geared towards making life more comfortable on land.

Also, a Professor of Environmental Microbiology and Director of Centre for Environment, Lancaster University, Prof. Kirk Semple, said one of the major causes of deaths across the globe was pollution.

In his paper presentation, titled Bioavailability of pollutants in soil: Fundamentals to application, Semple said pollution was a global phenomenon with higher rate in the third world countries.

He noted that pollution contaminated the soil which invariably had negative impact on agricultural products.

Semple recommended continuous sensitisation of the public and adoption of environmental best practices to mitigate pollution.

Earlier, the Dean, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Prof. Longi Anyanwu, described the lecture as being apt and urged the students and stakeholders to make best use of the lecture outcome

(NAN)