Benjamin Omoike l Sunday, October 17, 2021
OGBOMOSO, Ondo – For Nigeria to derive maximum benefits from nanotechnology research, the government at all levels and stakeholders must increase funding to education sector, just as it is also important to develop a road map for nanotechnology policy and development in the country, the Head, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Nanotechnology Research Group, Prof. Agbaje Lateef, has said.
In a statement to announce the group’s 5th annual international workshop/conference on nanotechnology tagged ‘LAUTECH NANO 2021’, slated for October 26 to 28, 2021, with the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Engr. (Dr.) Ogbonnaya Onu, FAS, expected to address participants, the group implored technocrats, industrialists, funding agencies and government to support its quest for innovative research in nanotechnology for the benefit of the nation and humanity at large.
He noted that research groups such as NANO+ that have distinguished themselves should be provided with centre of excellence in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
The conference, ‘Nanotechnology in Africa: Changing the Narratives for the Benefits of Mankind’ is expected to draw scholars, policy makers and participants from within and outside Nigeria in agriculture, life sciences, physical sciences, environmental sciences, engineering and medical fields to discuss research activities in the multidisciplinary field of nanotechnology for growth and development of Africa.
Participants will benefit from the wealth of experiences of speakers who are active players in nanotechnology research from Nigeria, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and Botswana.
The research group, headed by Prof. A. Lateef, a Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Pure and Applied Biology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, comprised of dedicated scholars from the fields of Physics, Engineering, Biochemistry, Botany, Microbiology and Zoology.
The group has consistently organised workshops and conferences on nanotechnology since 2017; thereby making it one of the most productive research groups in Nigerian Universities. It has also issued more than thirty press releases in national and international media to raise awareness about the bourgeoning discipline of nanotechnology and its attendant potentials to solve myriads of problems confronting mankind. Some of her members recently x-rayed Nigeria’s contribution to nanotechnology R&D in the last one decade with the view of charting a course for the country in nanotechnology enterprise.
As part of her leadership roles in nanotechnology pursuit in Nigeria, the group presented a memorandum to stimulate action on nanotechnology tagged ‘The Rusty Gold: Untapped Advances in Nanotechnology in Nigeria’ at the 19th National Council of Science, Technology and Innovation, held between 20 to 24 September, 2021, in Abuja, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.
It canvassed for the creation of seed fund at Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to support innovative research in nanotechnology, sought for collaboration of the Ministry with funding agencies, such as Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF), to prioritise funding of researches in nanotechnology, while concerted efforts should be made to provide nanotechnology infrastructure in the country, as it was done by the Department of Science and Technology in South Africa in the last two decades.
The group had earlier successfully organised the maiden National Workshop on Synthesis, Characterisation and Applications of Nanoparticles on 21 to 24 August, 2017. The second international workshop/conference was on 23 to 25 October, 2018, with the theme: ‘Nanotechnology for Sustainable Development: Prospects for Africa’, which attracted more than 100 participants from 35 institutions in the country, while in October 2019, the group organised her 3rd conference tagged, ‘Nanotechnology Applications in Africa: Opportunities and Constraints’, in which more than 150 scholars from 45 institutions attended the conference.
The 4th conference, which was entirely virtual, due to restrictions of COVID-19 pandemic, held between 26 and 27 October, 2020, with the theme: ‘Human Existence and Resource Utilisation: Extending the Frontiers through Nanotechnology’.
The conference drew participants from Nigeria, South Africa, Sierra-Leone, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, China, Sweden and the United Kingdom, from more than 50 institutions and government agencies.
At the conference, the flagship journal of the group, Nano Plus: Science and Technology of Nanomaterials (https://stnanojournal.org/), was unveiled by the Minister of Science and Technology, who was represented by Mr. Mfon E.J Bassey, Director, Chemical Technology, FMST, Abuja.
The activities of the research group have led to enourmous contribution to knowledge in the field of nanotechnology, through publications in top-rated journals and training of several undergraduate and postgraduate students in the bourgeoning field of nanotechnology.
In furtherance of her cardinal objectives, the group invites research scientists, technocrats, captains of industry, policy makers and exhibitors to her 5th workshop/conference on nanotechnology.
The conference would be chaired and declared open by the acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. M.O. Liasu, on October 27, 2021, at 10.00 am, at The Great Hall, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso. The hybrid conference would afford physical and virtual participation. Further details can be obtained online at: www.lautechnanotech.com.
