UNILAG don blames worsening climate crisis on wasteful resource use

A Professor of Process Systems Engineering at the University of Lagos, Mohammed Usman, has attributed the worsening climate crisis to the wasteful use of resources rather than carbon emissions, which are often blamed in global environmental discourse.

Delivering his inaugural lecture titled “Carbon Truly as Guilty as Charged? The Perspective of a Process Systems Engineer on Sustainability” at the university’s main auditorium on Thursday, Usman argued that inefficient resource consumption is the primary driver of greenhouse gas emissions, fueling climate change.

He said, “It is abundantly clear that those who point an accusing finger are more guilty than carbon.

“Our attitude to resource consumption is to blame, not the resource type and certainly not carbon. Resource utilisation efficiency is the guaranteed pathway to sustainability, not indulgence in transitioning from one resource type to another.”

We must always ask this critical question, ‘what is the minimum resource necessary to accomplish a specified task,’ before deployment of resources of any type, across all sectors and at all levels in diverse entities, including individuals, industries, private and public establishments.

“We should acquire the relevant capacity and capability in this regard. Let us individually and collectively kill extravagance in all its ramifications and shades.”

The professor said sustainability efforts should be driven by the knowledge of the minimum resources needed to achieve any goal, alongside the technological capacity to deliver on that requirement.

He urged individuals, industries, and governments to “kill extravagance in all its ramifications and shades”, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 12 on responsible consumption and production.

To achieve this, he called for strong policy integration across all levels of governance, including frameworks for periodic resource footprint assessments of ongoing and prospective policies.

Such audits, he said, would reveal synergies and prevent environmental challenges from merely “shifting” from one resource type to another.

Usman also urged the legislature to back these measures with enabling laws, while advising the UN Climate Change Commission to rethink its strategies by recognising carbon as “a pivotal resource rather than a villain.”

Usman said, “Policy integration is pivotal to efficient resource utilisation and sustainable development. Governments at all levels should develop a framework to synergise their policies and mainstream them throughout the entirety of their governance structure.

“Government at all levels should mandate periodic conduct of resources footprint assessment of its policies (ongoing and prospective) to unveil possible synergies. Appropriate legislation should be enacted to provide a legal framework and backing in this regard. This is sine qua non to deriving maximum benefit from resources of any kind and guarantees sustainability.”

He recommended replacing terms such as decarbonisation with “100 per cent carbon utilisation” or recarbonisation, while also applying similar performance measures to other resources used in renewable energy, such as silicon and lithium.

Speaking on the role of academia, Usman lamented poor remuneration for lecturers and described the state of education in Nigeria as an emergency requiring urgent intervention.

He called for academia to be recognised as the “fourth arm” of government and placed on par with the judiciary in terms of status and remuneration.

He also advocated for stronger academia–industry partnerships through deliberate policies that promote local content across sectors.

According to him, such linkages would boost research and development, help industries remain competitive, and reinvigorate the academic sector.

“Let us no longer fear carbon.

“Instead, we must understand it, master it, and design with it. The process systems engineer should be empowered to play a leading role in this regard, with endowed professorial chairs to advance the work,” he said.

Usman further urged UNILAG to integrate its utility needs, including power and water supply, to achieve self-sufficiency and to shift waste management from mere compliance to full resource recovery.

He proposed establishing a Centre of Excellence for Biomimicry to position the institution as a leader in Africa for nature-inspired technological solutions.

While acknowledging the global urgency of tackling climate change, Usman insisted that demonising carbon misses the root cause.

“Carbon is therefore considered not guilty as charged and is hereby discharged and acquitted,” he concluded.

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CAPTION: L-R: Provost College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Prof. Ademola Oremosu; Bursar, Oluwafunmilola Adekunle: Deputy Vice Chancellor, Development Services, Prof. Foluso Lesi, Inaugural Lecturer, Prof. Mohammed Usman; Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic & Research, Prof. Bola Oboh; Registrar, Abosede Wickliff and University Librarian, Prof. Olatokunbo Okiki, during the 19th Inaugural Lecture of University of Lagos 2024/2025 academic session.

Cupped from Punch.