Abuja: The Chemical Society of Nigeria (CSN) has called for increased investment in research, innovation, and industry partnerships to translate scientific discoveries into industrial value. CSN President, Prof. Rufus Sha’atu, made the call at the ongoing society’s 49th Annual International Conference, Workshop, and Exhibition in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the conference, themed ‘Innovative Chemistry for Sustainable Development and Responsible Care,’ is attracting more than 1,200 participants from Nigeria and other countries. Sha’atu emphasized that scientific discoveries would have limited impact if researchers could not move them beyond the laboratory into commercial and industrial applications. He stressed the need for the organized private sector to invest in developing scientific ideas beyond the laboratory scale and emphasized chemistry’s central role in various sectors such as food production, medicine, energy, and transportation.
Sha’atu highlighted that chemistry contributed to 11 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promoted responsible chemistry with a focus on environmental sustainability, social safety, and security. He announced the introduction of a Business Roundtable by CSN to expose young chemists to entrepreneurship and foster chemistry-based start-ups. Furthermore, Sha’atu called for resolving challenges surrounding the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON) and urged partnerships with the government to strengthen chemistry’s application in healthcare, agro-processing, and environmental management.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), underscored the centrality of chemistry to the agency’s functions in product evaluation, quality assurance, and safety monitoring. She encouraged researchers to develop local solutions and bolster domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing, especially through medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry. Adeyeye called for stronger collaboration among academia, industry, and government to improve access to affordable medicines and bridge the gap between research and commercialization.
In his keynote address, Prof. Goodwill Ofunne, Chairman of FISAS Group, urged chemists to focus on innovation that produces useful products while consuming fewer resources and generating less waste. He highlighted the transformative impact of digitalization, artificial intelligence-driven analysis, and low-carbon products on the chemical industry. Ofunne called attention to the oil and gas sector, advocating for innovation in petroleum chemistry to enhance value generation and reduce environmental impacts.
The Minister of Defence, represented by Rear Adm. Olusanya Bankole, called for collaboration among scientists, defense institutions, and universities to address emerging security challenges. He stressed the importance of incorporating forensic and advanced chemistry for national security and encouraged exploring research grants to apply scientific knowledge in security applications.
The conference also marked the election of new CSN national executives and featured awards for winners of the national chemistry quiz competition. Special awards were conferred on the Ministers of Environment; Defence; and Innovation, Science and Technology.