A researcher at Nigeria’s National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has developed a method to extract nanocellulose fibre from pineapple leaves, a material with potential industrial applications in biodegradable plastics, the agency said Tuesday.
The finding was presented by Samuel Wadzani Gadzama, chief engineer at NASENI’s Scientific Equipment Development Institute (SEDI) in Enugu, during a seminar in Abuja reviewing nanoscience research the agency has conducted since 2013.
Gadzama said the nanocellulose material had undergone testing both in Nigeria and internationally, though NASENI did not disclose specific test results, timelines, or plans for commercial-scale production.
The seminar, themed “NASENI Hybrid Scientific Engagement Programme: Science Perspective,” was organised by the agency’s Science Infrastructure Directorate as an expanded version of its regular seminar series.
Chika Ezeanyanaso, director of NASENI’s Nano Science Department, opened the event by calling on staff to intensify research efforts to support the agency’s contribution to national industrialisation.
“This seminar provides an opportunity for colleagues to learn from one another and generate ideas that will support innovation and national economic growth,” she said.
Hassan Bakare, deputy director of NASENI’s Research Laboratory Department, proposed establishing a joint seminar platform linking the agency’s Science and Engineering Infrastructure directorates to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration.
NASENI is a federal agency under Nigeria’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology mandated to develop capacity in engineering infrastructure and science-based industrial raw materials.
