University Don urges FG to harness microbes, agricultural waste for industrial independence
Professor Simiat Jimoh, an Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology expert at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun, Osun State, has stated that Nigeria can achieve industrial self-reliance and reduce dependence
- From Toba Adedeji, Osogbo
Professor Simiat Jimoh, an Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology expert at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun, Osun State, has stated that Nigeria can achieve industrial self-reliance and reduce dependence on imported pharmaceuticals by leveraging its abundant agricultural residues and indigenous microbial resources to produce bioethanol, biodegradable plastics, and other high-value bio-based products.
Speaking at the institution’s maiden inaugural lecture, titled “Fermenting the Future: Harnessing Microbial Metabolism for Sustainable Biotechnology Innovations”, Professor Jimoh emphasized that industrial microbiology focuses on large-scale applications of microbial metabolism. She highlighted that achieving industrial sustainability requires transitioning from a fossil-based economy to one founded on renewable biological resources.
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“Microbial biotechnology carries profound implications at the national, continental, and global levels,” she said. “Microbes are no longer confined to laboratory studies; they have become strategic tools for sustainable development. The same microbial systems that produce high-value molecular intermediates and industrial bioproducts also offer practical solutions to challenges in health, agriculture, energy, and material science.”
Professor Jimoh added that when effectively harnessed and guided by sound scientific design, microbial organisms can drive environmentally responsible technological progress, positioning microbes at the heart of a sustainable and innovation-driven future.
She added that “In Nigeria, the persistent reliance on imported pharmaceuticals, polymers, and bio-based chemicals has hindered industrial independence and continually strained the country's foreign reserves. Yet embedded within our abundant agricultural residues and rich indigenous microbial diversity lies a transformative opportunity.”
The professor asserted that through strategic microbial bioprocessing, agro-wastes can be converted into bioethanol, diabetic-friendly sweeteners, biosurfactants for detergents and environmental remediation, and biodegradable plastics.
“This will reposition waste as a strategic resource, catalyse regional bio-industries, generate green employment, strengthen national innovation capacity, and significantly reduce environmental burdens.”
