We Are Putting Chemical Technology To National Service At NARICT – Prof. Barminas

Prof. Jeffrey Tsware Barminas, Director-General/Chief Executive Officer (DG/CEO), National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Zaria Kaduna State
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Prof. Jeffrey Tsware Barminas is Director-General/Chief Executive Officer (DG/CEO), National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Zaria Kaduna State. In this interview with The Dream Daily, Prof. Barminas, who was appointed to his current post in NARICT by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017, speaks on wide-ranging issues relating to the relevance of chemical technology to national development, among others Excerpt:

NARICT was founded as an autonomous Institute in 1988. What is the Mission of NARICT and what is the Institute’s Vision?

The mission of the Institute is providing global competitive and environmentally friendly technologies in the areas of chemicals, biochemicals, petrochemicals, polymers and plastics, man-made fibres, solid minerals, effluent monitoring and control for the overall technological advancement of Nigeria. Its vision is to be recognized as a research Institute of international repute in the provision of innovative research and development in the processing and conversion of indigenous raw materials into valuable chemicals and petrochemical products for industrial applications.

Prof, upon your assumption of duty at NARICT what did you meet on ground and did that meet your expectation of a “national” research institute of the greatest Black nation on Earth.

My answer is yes. Upon assumption of duty, I observed that NARICT is a government-funded research institute that that has the potential to support, foster and develop core chemical technology, and lead growth in Nigeria’s Science and Technology Innovation (STI) platforms for better quality of lives of our people and address national challenges.

As an accomplished scholar and DG/CEO, what is your personal vision for NARICT?

Upon my appointment, I critically assessed the mission and vision statements of NARICT so as to outline strategies that will revamp and reposition it as one of the greatest Institute for chemical technology in Africa and globally too. Therefore, my personal vision is to reposition NARICT as a research-intensive Institute that specializes in advancing scientific and technological innovations for high-impact applications in chemical process industries through research and innovation, development capabilities, commercial partnerships and strategic collaborations.

Since assumption of office, we have been building a new research culture that is evolving to embrace excellence and national cum global relevance. The idea is to put the best in science and technology at the service of society to eradicate poverty and related conditions, support a sustainable environment and competitive industry. Consequently, we now have many research projects and innovative breakthroughs at NARICT which would be major catalyst in the development of the Nigerian economy. Our vision also encompasses raising the level of research and innovation at NARICT and nationwide to benefit humanity and linking these to related industries and entrepreneurs in the larger society.

You have spent two years leading NARICT, what are some of the job challenges, sir?

On assumption of office as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer on 23rd May, 2017, I noticed some disturbing administrative dysfunctions. There was an urgent need to review the subsisting corporate governance system or structure we met on ground which had little or no regards for due diligence or due process in its financial, procurement process, staff and administrative functions and processes.
The Institute was polarized along ethnic, tribal, nepotistic and religious lines. Merit, seniority, hierarchy and experience were jettisoned for expediency in decision making as rules and regulations were flagrantly abused. There was a near-total absence of cooperate governance system or structure that bred indiscipline. The was a deeply rooted lack of commitment and focus from some members of staff and poor application of funds.

Offhandedly, what are some of your achievements in two years as DG/CEO of NARICT?

In the two-year period under review, NARICT has recorded several success indicator or achievements. I will mention few of them. A landmark achievement recorded at NARICT in the period under review in the area of its core mandate of leading the line in overall chemical technology advancement in Nigeria is the new indigenous capacity to detect, foil or mitigate nuclear, biological and radiological attacks on Nigerian soil at the newly constructed NARICT Nuclear, Biological and Radiological De-Contamination Laboratories. These facilities are also being fitted to treat victims of nuclear, biological and radiological attacks in Nigeria. This milestone was made possible by a strategic rejig of research into cutting-edge chemical technologies underpinned by 21st Century challenges at NARICT.
Another outstanding achievement is the fabrication of the NARICT Innovative, Multifunctional Pyrolysis Reactor. Designed by NARICT researchers. This reactor is meant to upscale NARICT’s original research breakthrough on the conversion of solid waste into oil, carbon black, hydrocarbons and create valuable carbon-based chemicals and materials, known as bioproducts depending on waste feedstocks.
We have made progress in our commitment to research and innovation for application in agriculture and food security through the fabrication of machineries for fibre extraction from bast (stems) of plants, processing of fibre to yarn (an export commodity) and weaving and finishing of yarn to sack production. We have made progress in innovative processes for the formulation and production of urease inhibited urea fertilizer to decrease nitrogen losses, increase urea effectiveness, and boost crop yield.
Also, several state-of-the-art research equipment were procured, repaired calibrated or recalibrated at NARICT within the last two years, resulting in an unprecedented upsurge in research activities and innovative outputs on the Institute’s Flagship Research Projects from Members of Staff.
The last two years at NARICT have also seen to a rapid transformation of the Institute’s landscape based on its original masterplan as more laboratories and related infrastructure (roads, water supply system, powerline, etc.) were built and are still under construction to support research. Of great note here are the 30-million volume E-Granary Library, salt utlilization pilot plant, the adhesives production and maggot-processing pilot plants.
Infrastructural development was also extended to the establishment of NARICT Outstations in the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria to cascade research solutions to industries and the grassroots nationwide. These developments have led to a substantial increase in research capacity, or expertise and proliferation in NARICT’s collaborations and partnerships with other research agencies or centres and universities in Nigeria and globally. We have focused on research-driven capacity building, especially individual capacity aimed at supporting individuals to gain research and development skills and competences.
We have also enthronement of a robust Corporate Governance System in the Institute, which emphasizes the principles of transparency, responsibility, accountability, fairness and due diligence in all transactions.

How crucial is chemical technology to the growth or development of a nation and how is Nigeria faring in this regard?

The importance or role of chemical technology in any nation cannot be overemphasized. Through research and innovations, a lot of human challenges can be solved. Chemical technology creates an immense variety of products that are useful in virtually every aspect of our lives and is a very important contributor to the wealth of the leading countries of the world. It may interest you to know that qualified hands in chemical technology are one of the most well rewarded of all manufacturing industries because chemical technology is a highly productive engineering field.
I do not have the exact statistics but Nigeria may not be faring well in the chemical process technology. This is because Nigeria imports huge quantity of chemical raw materials and/or finished products. The importation of plastic and rubber, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, cements, paints, soap and detergent, pulp and paper, raw materials or chemical products since is very high. This is a reflection of the challenges we face in the Nigerian chemical manufacturing industries, in processing chemical products locally, in our own processing plants.

How have you engaged the Nigerian Chemical Industry or Sector in terms of finding solutions to industrial challenges and uptake of some of NARICT’s research results in the last two years?

We have designed strategies for partnerships/collaborations with government, private sector, corporations, and organizations in Research and Development (R&D). We have also provided and commissioned technical services to solve some major challenges in several critical sectors like Agriculture & Allied Industry, Manufacturing, Renewable Energy, Environment, Water and Health Sectors. Furthermore, we work with related Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to transfer and commercialize our research results and technologies.
In addition, we have developed and operate public infrastructure for chemical safety, analysis, evaluation, standardization, certification, provision of compounds and information as well as training of professionals to specialize in key mission areas.

A continent-wide market is open to Nigeria to explore following the country’s recent sign-up to the African Continent Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). What is the import of this for the Nigerian Chemical Industry and how can this country leverage on this significant development for her economic growth?

The sign-up to AfCFTA is in tandem with our strategic direction or focus which is in developing industry-led research innovation and project development that can improve profitability, competitiveness, sustainability, self-sufficiency and comparative advantage of the diverse natural resources of Nigeria. Therefore, its implementation will surely assist Nigeria to step towards a better future by upscaling its global competitiveness in raw materials for the chemical Industry. With increasing competition worldwide, innovation remains crucial for large-scale investment in chemical industries for large productions to satisfy the increasingly sophisticated, demanding and environmentally conscious consumers.

Which African country or nations should Nigeria watch out for under AfCFTA in terms of stiff competition for the chemical technology market share?

It should be Africa’s large economies like South Africa, Morocco and Egypt.
How is NARICT supporting or growing the next generation of Researchers, particularly among the nation’s youthful population, under your charge sir?

We are doing that through improving human resource capacity (training locally and internationally), improvement of research management, strengthening of research infrastructure and facilities, upgrade of model plants and development of knowledge in chemical technology. We also offer direct opportunities to young students of chemical engineering and related sciences to undergo industrial attachment at NARICT during which they gain invaluable hands-on experience.

Professor Jeffrey Tsware Barminase: A Short Bio

Professor Jeffrey Tsware. Barminase was born on 30th November, 1965. An indigene of Adamawa State, North Eastern, Nigeria. he started lecturing at the Federal University of Technology, Yola in 1989 and became Professor of Physical and Industrial Chemistry in 2009. Prof. Barminas has held several administrative positions, including Acting and substantive Head of Department of Chemistry, 1995-1996; 2008-2012, Coordinator of Research and Development, 2009-2017. At Adamawa State University, Prof. Barminas was Head of Department of Chemistry, Dean, Faculty of Science and Deputy Dean, Postgraduate School. He was also a member of the Governing Council of Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, where he gained additional valuable insights in the area of overseeing and understanding the university system and its management.

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