Africa must move beyond the production and export of biological raw materials and build stronger systems for converting its scientific knowledge and biological resources into high-value products, industries and jobs, an innovation expert, Obichi Obiajunwa, has said.
Obiajunwa made the call while delivering a plenary lecture titled “From Bench to Bioeconomy: Industrial Biotechnology, Circular Economy Models, and the Pathway to Sustainable Wealth Creation in Africa” at the 38th Annual Conference of the Biotechnology Society of Nigeria (BSN), held at Abdulkadir Kure University, Minna, Niger State.
The conference, themed “Advancing Safe Biotechnology for Sustainable Wealth Creation,” brought together stakeholders from academia, research, industry and the biotechnology community to examine how biotechnology can contribute to sustainable development and wealth creation in Nigeria and Africa.
At the beginning of his presentation, Obiajunwa acknowledged the presence of the Vice Chancellor of Abdulkadir Kure University, Professor Mohammed Aliyu Paiko, and the President of the Biotechnology Society of Nigeria, Professor Sylvia Uzochukwu, among other distinguished participants at the conference.
