Group Harps On Nanotechnology Development 

A Nanotechnology Research Group (NANO+)  has disclosed that leveraging on Nanomaterials would enable Nigeria achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Head of the group, Prof. Agbaje Lateef, made the disclosure recently on the sidelines of the group’s 6th Annual Conference organised by Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, in collaboration with the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in Lagos State.
The conference, with the theme, “Nanotechnology for Socio-Economic Development of Africa”, was targeted at Postgraduate students and early career scientists and researchers.
“Nanomaterials are exploited in all facets of human endeavours and the applications increase daily. There is the area of food and agriculture, health, industries, engineering, environment, security and defence, water, energy, sport, and consumer products, services. They represent potent tools that can be used to deliver on the SDGs of the UN,” he said.
According to him, with an estimated worth of $3trillion in 2020, provision of about six million jobs, it has been predicted to account for ten per cent of the world’s GDP by 2030.
He added that the NANO+ group, formed in 2014, had made contributions to promote nanotechnology Research and Development  (R&D) in Nigeria.
Lateef stated that they had mentored students and academics in more than twenty universities and other institutions in Nigeria and beyond.
“We have expanded the outreach of nanotechnology discourse to students of primary and secondary schools.
“Members of NANO+ remain the most prolific in nanotechnology R&D in Nigeria, having published more than 150 articles in various areas of nanotechnology since 2015.
“We have developed nano-based products: nanopaints, nanotextiles, nanopesticides, nanobiocides, nanofertilizers, nanoadsorbents, nanofilters, etc.”, he said.
He expressed hope that their efforts and those from other sister research groups on nanotechnology could be complemented by the government and relevant institutions.
Lateef further said they could be supported by providing them with policy guidelines on nanotechnology R&D in Nigeria and a dedicated capital to develop nanotechnology infrastructure.
He decried that Nigeria began the Nanomaterials development discussion with South Africa (SA) in 2006, but presently the country had moved to translational research.
“I therefore call on the Federal Government to finalise the passage of the nanotechnology policy on nanotechnology, establish an agency to drive its agenda for the country, and dedicate funds for its promotion and R&D.