Date: 2017-03-09

A Professor of Material and Corrosion Engineering, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara state, Makanjuola Oki has warned that continuous interaction of man with gaseous industrial wastes could accelerate ageing process and fast track early death.

Oki, while delivering the third in the series of Inaugural lectures of the institution said unless mopping up devices are promptly devised and applied for use, man's extinction on earth may be imminent.

The university don in his lecture titled 'The Tripodal Connection-Man, Material and Environment: Agricultural Inputs in Corrosion', said Nigerian scientists should not relegate themselves from playing prominent role in the development of the theories and applications in the nation's air space.

He said, "the environment can be defined as the air we breathe in and out as well as the various gases pumped into the atmosphere from diverse industrial processes and the interaction among man, material, plants, animals and water. Thus, interaction between rain water and industrial wastes gaseous components in the atmosphere will lead to acid rains which are common in industrial areas. Such acids are injurious to plant, man and the materials he created for his convenience. Such interactions among the components of the environment accelerate aging processes in man and materials."

Oki who is from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, canvassed dutiful use of some agricultural produce for industrial gains and not used for exclusive consumption purposes, just as he recommended the extracts from the bark of plants, leaves, roots, fruits and seeds for corrosion protection.

He disclosed that his major reason for his choice of topic was the need to see what could be done to save the planet earth from collapsing as a result of industrialisation.