By Abdullahi Lukman
A professor of Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Management at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Aderonke Adetutu Okoya, has called for the adoption of innovative waste-to-wealth approaches that convert agricultural and industrial waste into affordable materials for purifying contaminated water.
Okoya made the recommendation while delivering the university’s 415th inaugural lecture titled “Managing the Secret Life of Waters for One Health: A Waste to Wealth Approach.”
She warned that pollution and misuse of water resources have significantly altered water quality, often in ways that are not visible to the human eye.
According to her, water that appears clean or colourless may still contain harmful pollutants, stressing that industrial activities and poor waste management have increased the release of hazardous substances into rivers, groundwater and soil.
She noted that contaminants such as heavy metals, dyes, pesticides and hydrocarbons are increasingly present in wastewater from industries.
Many of these pollutants, she explained, resist natural degradation and can accumulate in ecosystems, posing serious health risks including organ damage, cancer and neurological disorders.
Presenting findings from her research, Okoya highlighted the potential of converting agricultural and industrial wastes into adsorbents—materials capable of trapping and removing pollutants from contaminated water.
She said commonly available agro-wastes in Nigeria, including maize cobs, cocoa husks, rice husks, sawdust and plastic waste, can be processed into low-cost materials for removing toxic metals and other contaminants from wastewater.
Okoya revealed that maize cobs converted into biochar and modified with chitosan derived from snail shells showed strong potential for removing toxic metals such as lead and chromium from polluted water.
Experimental results indicated that the modified material achieved removal efficiencies of up to 90 percent for lead.
She urged government agencies, industries and households to adopt research-driven innovations to strengthen existing water treatment systems, adding that such solutions support Sustainable Development Goals related to health, clean water and sanitation, and responsible consumption and production.
Okoya said the research findings could contribute to improving environmental sustainability and public health at local, national and global levels.
