A Nigerian-born polymer scientist, Kingsley Samson, has said waste-to-energy technology and recyclable polymer innovations have the potential to expand access to clean power.
According to a statement, Samson, a doctoral researcher in Polymer Science at the University of Akron in the United States, added that the innovations can reduce environmental pollution in developing and industrial economies.
The researcher said the global shift toward cleaner energy and environmentally friendly materials required practical solutions that address both waste management and energy scarcity.
“My goal was to find solutions that made sense for local communities. We had enormous amounts of agricultural waste and, at the same time, a dependence on expensive fossil fuels. Converting waste into energy was a practical way to address both problems,” he said.
“This technology is particularly important for developing nations. It not only provides an alternative energy source but also helps manage waste that would otherwise harm the environment.
“This innovation allows manufacturers to use less raw material while achieving better performance,” he explained. “That translates into lighter products, lower costs, and a smaller environmental footprint,” he added.
Now based in Ohio’s “Polymer Valley,” Samson said PhD research focuses on upcycling polyolefins — plastics that account for almost 60 per cent of global plastic use but record a recycling rate of only about 10 per cent.
“Plastic waste is not just an environmental issue — it’s a health and economic issue as well. If we can redesign these materials for true recyclability and upcycling, we can significantly improve the sustainability of modern manufacturing,” he said.
Samson added that collaboration across countries and research institutions was key to tackling the world’s energy and environmental challenges.
From converting agricultural waste into biodiesel in Nigeria to securing a patent in China and advancing sustainable polymer science in the United States, Samson’s work underscores the growing role of research-driven innovation in building a cleaner and more resilient global economy.
The researcher has led research projects across Africa, Asia, and North America focused on renewable fuels, sustainable plastics, and advanced manufacturing.
Samson, who graduated among the top one percent of his class at Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, began his journey in renewable energy research as an undergraduate. Under the supervision of Dr. Ayodele Akinterinwa, he successfully converted oil extracted from agricultural residues into biodiesel.
He later co-authored a peer-reviewed paper titled “Waste-to-fuel: The potentials of waste hard nutshell oil and biowaste heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production,” highlighting how organic waste can be turned into cleaner fuel.
Samson’s academic excellence earned him the Alliance of International Science Organization Scholarship for Young Talents, which took him to the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing for his master’s degree.
There, his research shifted to one of the world’s most widely used plastics — polypropylene. His work on modifying long-chain branched PP resulted in a Chinese Invention Patent and introduced new methods for producing lighter, more durable, and recyclable polymer foams.
