Nanotechnology Potentials in Climate Change Mitigation and Socio-Cultural Acceptability Issues in Africa

Abstract

Global warming and climate change remain the foremost environmental challenges worldwide, primarily driven by human-induced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These emissions originate largely from the combustion of fossil fuels in industries, transportation, and power generation. Since the industrial era began, GHG emissions have steadily risen, with industrial processes alone contributing about 78% of the increase between 1970 and 2010, according to the IPCC. Developing countries, especially Africa, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to low adaptive capacity, economic constraints, and weak institutional frameworks. In most Africa countries, challenges such as overpopulation, deforestation, poor waste management, poverty, desertification, and farmers-herders’ conflicts, further compound the problem. The Africa continent, especially the West Africa sub-region, faces various climate-related impacts. In Nigeria for example, while southern part of the country experiences sea level rise, flooding, coastal erosion, the north part endures desert encroachment, heatwaves, reduced rainfall and marked rainfall variability. A stark example was the 2012 flood in Nigeria which displaced over 2.1 million people across 30 states. Amid these challenges, nanotechnology emerges as a promising tool for climate change mitigation and environmental management. It offers potential applications in carbon capture, renewable energy, pollution control, water purification, waste degradation, and energy storage. Innovations include photovoltaic solar cells, hydrogen fuel technologies and advanced insulation materials. Despite its promise, large-scale adoption of nanotechnology in Nigeria faces significant socio-cultural and economic barriers. Public skepticism, lack of awareness, inadequate regulatory frameworks, and high costs hinder widespread implementation. Cultural attitudes towards risk and innovation further influence acceptance. This review explores the potentials for nanotechnology applications in climate change mitigation and socio-acceptability issues in Africa. More so, it highlights the need for comprehensive socio-cultural and economic assessments to understand public perception, ethical implications, and financial viability. Emphasis is placed on aligning nanotechnology with local content development to ensure sustainability and inclusivity. For nanotechnology to effectively contribute to Nigeria’s climate resilience, integrative strategies must be adopted. These should address public engagement, regulatory clarity, ethical considerations, and equitable access, ensuring that technological innovation complements the country’s social and economic realities.