As conversations about global marine plastic pollution dominate global headlines, one Nigerian scientist, Hassan Umar, is pushing a powerful message: Africa must not remain a passive observer.

Born and educated in Nigeria, Hassan graduated with a First-Class Bachelor of Technology Degree in Industrial Chemistry from the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA). His story is one of resilience, excellence, and a commitment to solving one of the world’s most urgent environmental crises—plastic pollution in our oceans.

As an undergraduate, Hassan distinguished himself early, winning the Federal Government of Nigeria Scholarship, an award aimed at financially supporting the nation’s brightest undergraduates in higher institutions. But that was just the beginning. In 2020, he became one of the few Nigerians—and indeed, Africans—selected for the Japan Government Scholarship to study a Master’s degree in Marine Plastic Abatement at the prestigious Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.

“It was humbling to realize that I could represent Nigeria and Africa on a stage where solutions to global environmental challenges are being crafted,” Hassan says.
Marine plastic pollution is one of the defining environmental problems of our time, choking oceans, threatening marine biodiversity, and finding its way back into human food chains as microplastics. Through his research and advocacy, Hassan is helping put Nigeria on the global map in this critical area.

While many Nigerians may not connect their daily use of plastics to what happens in distant oceans, Hassan bridges that gap—demonstrating how local plastic waste management challenges contribute to global problems, and how innovative upcycling and plastic recycling processes can provide sustainable solutions.

But Hassan is not just content with research. He has emerged as a thought-leader championing the need for Africans to contribute actively to global knowledge production, policy development, and innovation in plastic pollution and management.

“In Nigeria, we often underestimate how much our scientific voices matter globally,” he notes. “We have the capabilities to protect our environment, and we must use it.”

As the world scrambles to find solutions to the plastic crisis, Nigerians can take pride that one of their own, Hassan Umar, is already part of the solution. His work underscores that science is not just about experiments in the lab—it is about impact, leadership, and securing a healthier planet for future generations.