OilServ Group Chairman, Dr. Emeka Okwuosa said, the company would support research targeted at the advancement of Nanotechnology in Nigeria.
Dr. Okwuosa gave the assurance Monday at the 4th African Nano Conference organised by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State.
He said, “over the last seven (7) years, Oilserv Group has been strongly committed to the Nanotechnology Research Group of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, since the 1st Conference was held in 2014.
“Our abiding faith in the Nanotechnology Research Group to provide an alternative modern technology as a means of solving immediate societal problems and improving human life has spurred us into supporting this worthy and noble cause.
“I assure you that Oilserv Group will continue to lend its unflinching support to the Nanotechnology Research Group. We believe that our continued support and collaboration with the Nanotechnology Group will create the much-desired value”, he said.
The Oilserv chair said, the theme for this year’s conference. Nanotechnology: “A springboard for national development” carefully chosen by the Local Organizing Committee couldn’t be more suitable in the light of emerging global technological trends.
He said, research and development in Nanotechnology would play a leading role in putting Nigeria on the global map of scientific and technological achievements.
Engr. Okwuosa explicated nanotechnology as one of the most promising and revolutionary technologies and its applications in the field of Energy, Environment, Agriculture, and Health in the developing world.
He said, research over the past decade has shown that nanotechnology can be harnessed to handle some of the gravest developmental problems confronting the developing/emerging world. Consequently, numerous emerging states have launched nanotechnology projects to reinforce their capability and continue economic development.
On application of nanotechnology to energy, he said, it provides the potential to enhance energy efficiency across all branches of industry and to economically leverage renewable energy production through new technological solutions and optimized production technologies.
He said, Nanotechnology could be used to address health issues in the developing world.
“At present, nanotechnology is turning out to be vital driving force behind innovation in healthcare and medicine, with a range of developments counting imaging technologies, drug delivery systems, implantable devices, biosensors, and nano-scale therapeutics.
“Nanotechnology holds huge potential in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19,” he said.
According to him, the application of nanotechnology in various fields was slow and suffers from several challenges.
“First of all, in most developing countries resources for contribution to front-line science is lacking. The cost for acquisition of intellectual property rights is high nanotech. There is a lack of human and policy capacity. The political instability in African developing countries is also an issue.
“Secondly, developing countries usually have low average incomes and face low spending by the government in research and development. Low government spending deteriorates situation for nanotechnology to even be contemplated in less-developed countries. The case is true from Bangladesh and Ghana.
“Lastly, developing countries confront technology communication challenges particularly absence of educational materials in proper language, poor public involvement or awareness, Misappropriation of terminology (false promotion etc); insufficient links between actors in different countries because of differences in standards and policies, language barrier, etc”, he said.
In addressing the challenges, the Oilserv Chair said, issues related to the adoption of nanotechnology in developing countries could be handled by addressing the funding requirement of the research.
He said, “Nanotechnology is the future of the developing world and is vital to close the gap between the global south and global north as well as to increase the peoples’ standard of living and to ensure sustained economic growth”.
He however, commended the University for bringing together renowned scholars, faculties and students from across the world to brainstorm and proffer solutions for the advancement of Nanotechnology in Nigeria.
