UNILAG Prof explains how he and others developed the food-dryer that uses sawdust, palm kennel and coconut shells as its energy source

By Jet Stanley Madu

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In a bid to drastically minimise or possibly eliminate waste in re-engineering extractive metallurgy, Prof. Essezobor has come up with a novel high-breed convective thermal drying technology for food processing industry.
The technology, he revealed, was a result of a collaborative study between him and other scholars. The convective thermal dryer, he added, was developed using agroforestry and other combustible wastes such as palm kennel and coconut shells, sawdust etc., as its energy source.
Essezobor, a lecturer at the Department of Metallurgy, University of Lagos, (UNILAG), made this disclosure when he delivered his inaugural lecture recently. The lecture held in the main auditorium of the University of Lagos, Akoka, had its topic as: “Waste to Wealth: The Re-Engineering of Extractive Metallurgy.”
In the course of the lecture, he identified the fact that the steel industry remains a major source of environmental pollution and described waste to mean any substance (material) discarded or eliminated as having no further use, be it economic or otherwise after the completion of a process.
Throwing more light on the technology, he stated that the equipment is original and unique because it is a non-polluting and has closed-door circuit system that takes between 48 and 72 hours to properly dry fish, snails and other related food items.  The invention allows drying performance independent of outside temperature and humidity, he said. When in operation, it is said to control airflow temperature (65-120*C) and humidity.
Also, the novel thermal drying technology, according to Essezobor, possesses a balanced processing for all products in the unit, without having to move the trolleys around the cycle. “The technology has easy maintenance machine and adopts prefabrication manufacturing that can be produced in three months. It has better product quality, high processing capacity and no contamination.”
He further explained that the technology has the ability to process about 3000 fish per batch and has longer lasting preservation as food product can last for two years. Moreover, the product being dried retains all its nutrients. The technology has great cost effectiveness and energy recycling unit as well as recovery of byproduct such as cod-liver oil.
He described any failure to create wealth from waste as an attempt to stop the creative engine and break natural creative cycle. This, according to him, would lead to poverty and lack of sustainability. Man, he added, has the innate capacity to create wealth from waste.
His lecture centred on the reduction of wastes and on developing creative methods to re-engineer manufacturing processes to reduce emissions and process waste by fully utilising all resources. This concept he tagged as ‘waste-free technology.’ He explained the technology to mean the total recovery and recycling of wastes generated either directly or indirectly by the manufacturing process, and deployment of technologies that facilitate their reduction.
The metallurgist pointed out that this implies a system that maximizes metal-energy usage and assures environmental protection compliance, adding that three steps are required to achieve a successful waste-free policy.
They are, namely, (1) “avoidance of waste generation or reduction of the volume of waste at the source of formation through improvements in the plants’ operation and maintenance, (2) conversion of generated wastes to valuable situ or for allied industries such as non-ferrous building and construction industries, and (3) the development of a technology of recycling all byproduct wastes or destroying these wastes in such ways that there will be nothing left of their residues.”
He was quick to point out, however, that these methods require huge investment and or takes ingenuity and high technical know-how to implement, even as he explained that in the steel industry, the methods cannot be implemented with the current method practised by municipalities and other industries.
He made some recommendations on steps to be taken to strategically position the iron and steel sector in Nigeria. Essezobor who advised against the hasty privatisation of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant (ASP), recommended the establishment of Waste-Free or Zero Waste Technology Research Centre/Laboratory at the University of Lagos, Lagos State and other states.
The research centre that he described as a vital piece for a comprehensive waste management, according to him, will be designed to investigate every discarded material for possible conversion to wealth.
He also canvassed for a paradigm shift on re-engineering extractive metallurgy to stimulate capacity and innovation in metals and energy recovery and re-processing of residues and wastes and closed-loop chains for sustainability.