Submitted

Last Updated May 9, 2023

Climate Adaptation & Low-Carbon Housing Challenge

Climate Change Solvable: A Nature Inspired Approach

Team Leader

Babatunde Ajayi

Solution Overview & Team Lead Details

Our Organization

The Federal University of Technology Akure

What is the name of your solution?

Climate Change Solvable: A Nature Inspired Approach

Provide a one-line summary of your solution.

Manufacture of innovative value-added panel materials as a Nature-based Solutions: a Curbing Strategy to Exterminate Climate Crisis, the prevailing landscape degradation and pollutions associated with water bodies and Land.

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What specific problem are you solving?

This innovation stems from providing solutions to the notable recurring challenges such as global warming from fossil fuels, food and water insecurity, wastes, biodiversity loss, pollution, deforestation, and Sea Level Rise. The generation of waste causes environmental pollution in landfills and water bodies. The wanton destruction of tropical forests as well as the level of sophistication and degree of utilization of maize cobs is far from satisfactory, resulting in wasteful disposal through burning or decomposition. The burning of these large quantities of agricultural wastes in the open results in environmental and health issues. In addition, the aerobic decomposition of maize cobs in landfills could be a major source of methane emissions.

Globally, incorporating agricultural wastes in producing sustainable, environmentally, and easily replicated value-added bio-composite materials using adaptable and innovative manufacturing techniques is of paramount importance. 42 million tonnes of solid waste are generated annually and agricultural waste accounts for 52 % of the total. These when properly utilized would reduce the total waste generation and potential environmental problems associated with poor waste management. This is in the light of developing a product that can conveniently stand as an alternative to wood products to meet the increasing demand for sustainable construction materials for core and low-cost housing in rural and urban areas and many other spheres of life. The products are versatile and
affordable because they can be suitably made from maize cobs, a readily available non-conventional raw material regarded as waste and sourced
locally. Bio-composite products are suitable raw materials for internal and
external building construction due to their inherent qualities such as
resistance to termite, insect, and fungi attack; high resistance to moisture,
freezing, and fire; good insulating properties, durability, and nailing ability;
and its dust is non-aggressive and non-contagious. The utilization of low-carbon bio-composite in building construction, electronic, and automobile industries will reduce the pressure on existing forest resources and increases
the income of the community inhabitants. The commercial Manufacturing of innovative value-added panel materials as a Nature-based Solution will no doubt curb the prevailing landscape degradation, pollution associated with water bodies and Land, and Strategy to exterminate climate crisis. Hence, bio-composite production is an innovative sustainable green approach that will majorly turn waste into prosperity globally. The efficient and effective processing and utilization of maize cobs would greatly ameliorate impending environmental degradation and climate change mitigation.

What is your solution?

The production, commercialization, and scaling up of low-carbon value-added panel products of this developmental project are capable of curbing environmental pollution and siltation of waterways; creating wealth and prosperity from non-conventional raw materials (biological and non-biological such as plastics) thereby promoting sustainable use of natural resources; increasing prosperity; creating a new orientation in design, technology and industrial development in sourcing, processing, manufacturing and utilization of raw materials and new products.

The research output borders on harvesting, collection of wastes, sustainable management, and utilization of waste from fibers using organic and inorganic binders for the manufacture of low-carbon value-added products which are germane to meeting the purpose of poverty reduction, increasing prosperity, and mitigation of challenges arising from carbon emission and climate change. This innovation will complement the effort of sustainable development that would trigger a lasting transformation of the rural and urban economies worldwide.

The innovative sustainable green approach in the manufacturing of innovative value-added panel materials as a Nature-based Solution to turning wastes into wealth and prosperity will exploit a concerted adaptable methodology to produce sustainable value-added building material beneficial to man in perpetuity viz a viz in poverty eradication, improving the socioeconomic standard of people, promoting prosperity, food security, resourceful conservation of eco-resources biodiversity, new technological advancement in product manufacturing, raw materials processing, deployment, and climate change mitigation.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

The utilization of biofiber will empower the Least Developed Communities to improve their incomes in an environmentally sustainable manner through the sales of wastes derived from post-harvest processing, assured food security, and has been a complementary effort to the reduction of harmful emissions, combating forest degradation and deforestation. Affordable value-added products from this innovation have proven to be suitable for use in core and low-cost housing delivery in Urban and Rural communities worldwide.

This innovation will empower rural populations (farmers and indigenous people) to improve their incomes in an environmentally sustainable manner through the sale of wastes derived from post-harvest processing. The raw materials and Value Added Panel Products (VAPP) from this innovative work could serve as a model for investment opportunities among urban and rural communities. This will no doubt complement the efforts of securing a quality environment conducive to good health and well-being of fauna, flora, and soil productivity. These efforts will as well complement the effort of reducing emissions, forest degradation, and deforestation and also support the realization of Sustainable Economic Development and the realization of Sustainable Development Goals (Goals 1, 2, 8, 9, 13 14, 15, and 17), a dream of the world. Scaling and commercialization of the outputs of this innovation can be presented as concerted solutions to world challenges.

The concept is designed to add value to inconsequential maize cobs readily available to create wealth, prosperity, and balanced ecological systems. Unemployment is part of the World system, therefore, the initiative will engage: physically challenged individuals, poverty-riding people, artisans, and technicians as sources of labour in the sorting and screening of raw materials. The youth will also be engaged in every stratum of the initiative implementation. The indigenous people will be employed and trained using their indigenous knowledge, customs, and technology to achieve the goals.

How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?

My involvement as a biocomposites initiator, it has been discovered that the utilization of low-carbon materials produced from fibers will empower the Least Developed Communities to improve their incomes in an environmentally sustainable manner through the sales of wastes derived from post-harvest processing, assured food security, and has been a complementary effort to the reduction of harmful emissions, combating forest degradation and deforestation. The involvement of my institution in the production and testing of the affordable low-carbon value-added products from this innovation has proven to make it suitable for use in core and low-cost housing delivery in Urban and Rural communities worldwide.

Globally, post-harvest residues derived from maize cob are usually degraded through conventional burning, and insect attacks thereby causing environmental degradation and pollution which this initiative stands to mitigate. Through affordable and adaptable technology, the indigenous people can convert the maize cob into value-added products for construction purposes and serve as alternatives to wood products for housing, furniture, electronics, wall paneling and automotive, etc. This will serve many social, economic, and environmental benefits. The utilization of maize cob in the production of engineering materials will reduce environmental pollution, and flooding, and mitigate climate change. The collection, processing of raw materials, manufacturing of the panel products, and sales of the final products will create jobs for indigenous people, and food security, reduce poverty, conserve forests biodiversity; curb siltation of waterways, promote sustainable use of natural resources, restore economic mother trees for seed production, protect edaphic resources against caking of the soil, improve standard of living and create access to technical education. Characteristically, the products are resistant to bending force, dimensional movement, and bio-deteriorating agents. This will no doubt complement the efforts of securing a quality environment conducive to good health and well-being of fauna, flora, and soil productivity. This effort will as well complement the effort of reducing emissions, forest degradation, and deforestation and also support the realization of Sustainable Economic Development and the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (Goals 1, 2, 8, 9, 13 14, 15, and 17), a dream of the world. Scaling and commercialization of the outputs of this innovation can be presented as concerted solutions to world challenges.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Support informal communities in upgrading to more resilient housing, including financing, design, and low-carbon materials or energy sources.

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

In what country is your solution team headquartered?

Nigeria

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Pilot: An organization testing a product, service, or business model with a small number of users

How many people does your solution currently serve?

The production of the innovative value-added composite by this organization has received maximum acceptability across the selected communities in Nigeria and its neighboring countries. This solution was designed to provide sustainable housing materials to targeted communities in all thirty-six (36) States in Nigeria. The current market survey of the acceptability and usability showed that more than 60 % of the people have subscribed to the acceptance of these low-carbon value-added materials produced from fibers obtained from the available agricultural post-harvest residues for use in the construction industries, and on average, 45 % of this population have incorporated these materials in buildings both in the rural and urban areas. The solution on the level of improvement and scaling up has deployed young researchers to different institution laboratories across the globe with the aim of training and introducing these sustainable materials to both developed and developing countries. For community development, this organization has selected more than 20 local communities in Nigeria where these materials developed through this innovation and technology are offered freely for building construction, especially in the areas affected by the prevailing environmental problems associated with flooding.

Why are you applying to Solve?

Due to the extensive scientific research that was necessary to test and determine the applicability of this solution, it was quite difficult to design and introduce these products to the existing markets. This organization is submitting an application to request the most amount of support from Solve for connection with identified partners for collaboration and assistance in developing and introducing these value-added bio-composite panels in support of rural people in erecting low-carbon buildings at low costs, particularly in areas where prevailing environmental challenges have rendered many homeless. The recommendation and scaling up of these innovative products will help reduce and alleviate poverty through the involvement of farmers in adding value to their post-harvesting residues and also protect and conserve forests by limiting the use of illegal harvest timbers which are majorly considered as a means of obtaining their housing materials.

The support of Solve in adopting and scaling up this innovation will help curb Environmental degradation and pollution arising from burning and other conventional means of waste disposal and this will bring about the availability and affordability of new value-added products for construction works sustainably.

The utilization of these products will develop innovative science and technology in engineering with architectural designs and in building mega structures in areas where such is required.

In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?

Business Model (e.g. product-market fit, strategy & development)
Financial (e.g. accounting practices, pitching to investors)
Monitoring & Evaluation (e.g. collecting/using data, measuring impact)
Product / Service Distribution (e.g. delivery, logistics, expanding client base)
Public Relations (e.g. branding/marketing strategy, social and global media)
Technology (e.g. software or hardware, web development/design)

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Professor Babatunde Ajayi

More About Your Solution

What makes your solution innovative?

From the works of literature available so far, research studies are rare on the uses of maize cobs as supplements in the production of non-conventional bio-based composite. Its effects on performance evaluation are also yet unknown. Hence thorough investigation on the full utilization of maize cobs with other components to improve properties for better performances in applications as an alternative to wood is highly needed.

Yam stems, maize stalks and cobs, coconut fiber, palm kennel fiber, cassava stems, banana stem residues, rice husks, ground nuts, bamboo particles, eupatorium odorata, sugarcane waste, luffa cylindrical, elephant grass, cow bone, water hyacinth, and other biowastes have been found to be suitable from local sources for value-added products. Before making the boards, the bio-wastes are ground into particles in a hammer mill and then screened to remove contaminants. Hot water was used to clean particles for inorganic bonded boards of any extraneous components that would prevent the binder from settling and curing. The mixture of the particles, binder, and additive was then created inside of a mold. The final board is then made by pre-pressing and pressing the mattress that has been formed.

The particles, binder and additive were mixed together and formed inside a mould. Thereafter, the mattress formed is pre-pressed and pressed to form the final board. Plastic bonded composite were produced through extrusion or injection moulding procedure using fine particles and pelleted plastics. Areas of application include: 1. Ceiling 2. Floor tiles 3. Wall Paneling. 4. Partitioning 5. Roofing 6. Furniture components 7. Core and low cost houses 8. Pots and vessels 9. Automobile components etc.

What are your impact goals for the next year and the next five years, and how will you achieve them?

There will be the employment of resource people from the Federal University of Technology Akure's Department of Forestry and Wood Technology and other institutions. The goals of this innovation are to;

-Create low-carbon value-added boards with a range of features from bio-waste

-test the quality of the low-carbon value-added boards.

-Scale Up Production and Product Commercialization

-involve in capacity building through training, workshops, and the manufacturing of value-added panel products from bio-waste; and

-participate in National and international collaborations with other institutions, etc.

Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals does your solution address?

1. No Poverty
2. Zero Hunger
3. Good Health and Well-being
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
12. Responsible Consumption and Production
13. Climate Action
15. Life on Land

How are you measuring your progress toward your impact goals?

Since 2017, I have participated in the United Nations Program through the Department of Social Affairs and Sustainable Development. I wrote a written submission in 2021 for Session 2 of the STI Forum titled "Effective paths towards the SDGs: STI for ending poverty and hunger, enhancing human well-being, and building resilience" (https://sdgs.un.org/events/session-2-effective-paths-towards-sdgs-sti-end) as well as one on accelerating action toward the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030. I have presented papers at more than 33 conferences and professional meetings in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, etc. I have been awarded as the best innovative researcher for Local Raw Materials Content by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Nigeria in 2011. I have presented these innovations and products at various places globally and have been invited to attend many notable international gatherings. I facilitated collaboration on academic interchange agreement between FUTA and Federal University of Lavras, and the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, respectively. The acceptance and the usability of this is on the increase among the selected communities.

What is your theory of change?

• Create job opportunities for low- and high-income earners; • Raise farmer income and reduce poverty; • Raise raw material supply for the building industry; Production of food is increased; Reduce the strain on the biodiversity of forest resources; Create breakthroughs in product manufacture, processing, and use; Develop cutting-edge science and technology in engineering and architecture; • Preserving a healthy environment by decreasing forest extraction to combat climate change • The provision of the value-added panel, which is an advantageous replacement for sawn timber. • The accessibility to small-scale entrepreneurship; • The availability of the main raw materials found locally; • The simplicity of its manufacturing method. • High resistance to damp, cold, fire, termite, insect, and fungi assault • The dust produced by the technique is non-aggressive and non-contagious, and it has good insulating qualities, durability, and availability.

Describe the core technology that powers your solution.

Implementation of this initiative centered on the application of technology, science, and innovation in the manufacture of low-carbon value-added composite using non-valuable raw materials in production with indigenous engineering techniques. The innovations will solve some targeted problems such as Environmental Problems, Global warming, Climate Change, Pollution, siltation of waterways, Poverty eradication, Food insecurity, High cost of construction materials, and Deficiency in wood products supply. The idea is to convert maize cob to homogeneous particles and formed the composite with an inorganic binder under a cold press.

The build-up of pilot units and up-scaling of production for commercialization will stimulate farming activities in order to promote food security, zero hunger, biodiversity conservation, and Landscape rejuvenation. Development of housing units for low & high-income earners from the materials. Further investigations of the suitability of other agricultural wastes and weeds worldwide for manufacturing value-added products useful in construction, electronics, automobile, and other allied industry.

Which of the following categories best describes your solution?