Greening Nigeria's economy for industrial and environmental sustainability: Polyurethane production as a test case

The study focused on Nigeria's polyurethane (PU) production process as a test case. Though it is currently insignificant when viewed from a global perspective, PU production in Nigeria is not eco‐friendly. Traditionally, PU is produced by reacting petro‐based polyol with a poly‐isocyanate, which is made from amines and phosgene and are currently imported into the country. These two materials are detrimental to the human health and environment, indicating that Nigeria's PU industries need to re‐examine their production inputs for environmental compliance. The objective of this study is to review the PU industry for nontoxic reagents that could be sourced locally vis‐à‐vis overcoming sustainable development (greening the economy) challenges in Nigeria. Non‐isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) is preferred to petro‐polyurethane because, in comparison, NIPU has improved thermal and chemical resistance, porosity and water absorption, and is less toxic. Engaging local resources to produce PU is economically feasible; in addition, NIPU is relatively advantageous to human health and the environment. Aside from being economically feasible, production of NIPU in Nigeria has the propensity to greatly enlarge the growth of the existing PU industry to tremendous heights and contribute to diversifying and improving the overall economy.     

Health and Environmental Implications of Rural Female Entrepreneurship Practices in Osun State Nigeria

In rural Nigeria, food processing is mostly engaged in by women and children. Most of these processes are done using outdated technologies that make use of traditional woodstoves. This article presents the health and environmental implications of the rural female entrepreneurs involved in food processing and proffer means of bettering the lot of these women to handle these hazards. A partially structured questionnaire and focus group discussion was used to capture data from respondents. The study revealed that about 73 % of women involved in direct production of garri and palm oil processing could be at risk of early death or disability-adjusted life years from the mentioned diseases. The article concludes that the rural female entrepreneur needs to be better positioned to handle these hazards, for her health, that of her children, as well as for the environment.     

Impact of Sand Dune Stabilization Structures on Soil and Yield of Millet in the Semi-Arid Region of NW Nigeria

The low-rainfall ecologies of the northern fringes of Nigeria are prone to desertification and sand dune activities that are phenomenal and extensive. Stabilization structures put in place by various governmental and non-governmental agencies to check desertification in northwestern Nigeria were evaluated with respect to efficiency, impact on soil development and yield of millet. The study focused on the active and stabilized sand dune formations in NW Nigeria. Various stabilization techniques were identified within Gidan Kaura (the study site) and results were compared with an unstabilized sand dune (control site). Results obtained indicated that the sand dunes within the study area are still active despite the numerous stabilization structures, some of which were established over 15 years ago. Shelterbelts were the most effective techniques in sand dune stabilization and soil development when properly sited across wind direction. Shelterbelts recorded significantly higher levels of pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, exchangeable bases and micronutrients except for copper, when compared with all other treatments. The least effective of all the structures was mechanical fencing, probably due to the inadequate quantity of plant residues used in its construction. The impact of the various structures on the physical and chemical soil properties was evaluated for surface soils as were the structures on the yield of millet in stabilized dunes and non-dune areas. The results are discussed in depth in this paper.