Opportunities and challenges for bioeconomic ......Africa is the world's second largest and second most-populous continent, at about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million squaremiles) including

Opportunities and challenges for bioeconomic transformation in Africa:

HarnessingAfrica’s expansive Bioresource for the Bio-economy

Nwadiuto (Diuto) Esiobu Ph.D.Professor, Microbiology & Biotechnology, Florida Atlantic University, USA. President / CEO Applied Biotech Inc. USA and Applied Biotech Int’l Nig [email protected] | [email protected] ; www.appliedbiotech.ng

GLOBAL BIO-ECONOMY SUMMIT (GBS 2018)BERLIN, GERMANY.APRIL 18 – 20, 2018

What isBioeconomy

Bioeconomy is the

engineering of the biosphere for a sustainable future

BIO-ECONOMY IN AFRICA CAN HELP ACHIEVE >55% OF THE SDGs

CONCLUSION

WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARD

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES

Africa and the Bio-economy

WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES

Harnessing Africa’s Bio-resource to build the bioeconomy

CONCLUSION



Africa and the Bio-economy



OPPORTUNITIES IN AFRICAHUGE HUMAN RESOURCES

LARGE EXPANSE OF LANDCropland in use and total suitable land (million ha)

Sources: FAO data and Fischer et al. (2000)

Training an internationally accredited workforce

Africa is the world's second largest and second most-populous continent, at about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area and 20% of its total land area. With 1.2 billion people as of 2016, It accounts for about 16% of the world's human population

Bioresource distribution in Africa

High BIOMASS output: World cassava production (--000 tonnes)

OPPORTUNITIES IN AFRICA

A major commodity for the world textile industry,COTTON is present in 37 of the 54 Africancountries and is exported in 30 of those nations.Yet, Africa accounts for only about 16 percent ofthe global textile market, valued at $1.6 trillion in2015

As for COCOA, the African countries of Côted’Ivoire—the world’s single largest producer—Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon account for morethan 70 percent of the world’s cocoa production.

OPPORTUNITIES IN AFRICA contdINDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND UNTOLD ARRAY OF BIODIVERSITY & MICROBIOMES

Devil’s claw from South AfricaWorks miracles and cures all manner of diseases

The African gut microbiome is more diverse than that of the West,

containing potentially invaluable strains

The rhizobiomes are waiting to be tapped

CONCLUSION



CHALLENGES

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGESHarnessing Africa’s Bio-resource to build the bioeconomy

CHALLENGES with growing Bioeconomy IN AFRICA

SCARCITY OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS & EXPERTISE

NO STRATEGIC PLAN & NO VISION OF THE FUTUREIncluding lack of IP guidelines and Bio-product biopolicies

FOREIGN INTERFERENCES

LIMITED INFRASTRUCTURE AND INVESTOR LETHARGY

Including land grabbing, courting and nurturing corruption.Apparent alternate steering of bioeconomy efforts

Intra-regional imports and exports

CONCLUSION



THE WAY FORWARD



WAY FORWARD – Create bio-blue-print

1) EACH COUNTRY SHOULD DEVELOP A ROBURST CONTEXT-RELEVANT BIO-ECONOMY STRATEGY THAT INTEGRATES AUTHENTIC INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE

2) FORGE REGIONAL ALLIANCES FOR MARKETS / RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

vCommission a multidisciplinary team to assess country’s capacity in renewable resources, including wastes and biodiversity

vEngage all stakeholders from the onset for proper buy in.

vBuild capacity – institutions, legal, NGOs, law enforcement.

vFavor Bio-products with incentives for producer and buyer

Consider the Following in the process

• What are the pressing problems

• Understand the basisfor the problem

• Strategize on the level of your intervention

• Determine the feasibility

• Bring in partners

• What’s the niche?• Role of Government?• Role of Academia• Role of the Business world• What should the Public do?• Set priorities based on country needs, capacity and market, not on random pressures

FOCUS ON THE FUTURE ….• Create strong institutions that will outlive

individuals and create jobs• Encourage the growth of the private sector –

employers of labor• Invest heavily in your human capital especially the

Youth– Create Centers of excellence in emerging tech– Facilitate mentoring and networking programs– Support incubators for young entrepreneurs and start-ups by

women and others– Develop innovative skill-set Certificates to encourage retraining

BIOECONOMY IN AFRICA SHOULD BE DIVERSE INTEGRATED

INDUSTRIAL BIOTECHNOLOGYBIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING

BiofuelsRenewable

energy, bioethanol.

Powers others

EnzymesNew

products, processes

Renewable Chemicals

BioprocesseBiomass assorted

Biobasedpolymers

BiorefiningWaste to wealth, extend

value chain

BioprocessesSynthetic

biology applications

AgricultureNew crops

and products

JOB

S




THE WAY FORWARD

CONCLUSION


Drivers for Change in Africa

CREATE A CONTEXTUAL BIOECONOMY BLUE PRINT THAT INTEGRATES INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE FOR YOUR NICHE

INVEST IN CAPACITY BUILDING. ESTABLISH COLLABORATING R&D INSTITUTIONS ETC

PARTNER WITH OTHER AFRICAN REGIONS AND GLOBAL SECTORS

Conclusion - Key Takeaways

On Opportunities

• Diversify the Agriculture Agenda of the Country

• Expand value chains and post harvest preservation factories

• Enable Agric input companies

• Integrated approach to Soil and environmental health will need

On Challenges:

• Visionary leadership needed

• External influences on the continent and land pressures etc

• Constrained by severe acute needs, long term and sustainability planning is lost.

• Inadequate infrastructure and IP guidelines

Ultimately:

• Develop a blueprint for Bio-based economy

• Embrace technology and create policy to incentivize players

• Invest in human capital development for market-place skills

• By all means promote a diversified private sector

The Way Forward….: Partnership

TEAM OR DEAL

• T– Together D- Divided• E- Each E- Each• A- Achieves A- Achieves• M- More L- Less

It’saNewWorld- Globalized

Time for Sustainable Growth is Now

Thank You & Questions

Documents

Opportunities and challenges for bioeconomic ......Africa is the world's second largest and second most-populous continent, at about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million squaremiles) including