By Ebele Orakpo

THE Federal Government’s dream of making Nigeria world’s hub for leather processing is being realised as a wholly indigenous start-up company, Berekotry Detergent Ltd. based in Iseyin, Oyo State, has discovered, through its  cellulose fusion technology, a dual active antifungal and biocide extract with fast efficiency in leather dehairing, allegedly the fastest in the world now.

Speaking with Vanguard Learning, the Chief Executive Officer/Head of Research & Development of the company, Engr. Taslim Owonikoko, said the product is “a fast dehairing agent in leather processing with an incubation period of just 30 minutes, an ample improvement on the over seven days current practice in the leather processing industry globally.”

*Taslim

De-hairing:

De-hairing as the name implies, is removal of hair from skins as one of the important operations in leather processing. Usually, this process involves the use of chemicals applied in huge amounts. Unfortunately, these chemicals often cause a lot of environmental pollution hence the need for an alternative.

Search for alternatives:

They found the alternative in enzymes which apart from doing the job within a shorter period, is more eco-friendly. “When the nod came from the Nigerian Patent Office on a novel process route for the synthesis of antifungal and antimicrobial agent from cellulose to valuable industrial products in 2008, it was like a starter’s euphoria on the part of the Berekotry Ltd’s Research & Development leadership. The patent granted in 2008 has been reinforced by the latest award of a second patent by the Nigerian Patent office in March, 2014,” said an elated Owonikoko.

Antimicrobial agent:

“We have clean prototypes and patented route for the production of new antifungal agent from cellulose via non- pyrolysis liquefaction. The extract was phytochemically screened and found to be inhibitors for three fungi species (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus species) plus one bacteria species Bacillus cereus.

Aspergillus niger, a common food contaminant, causes a disease called black mold on certain fruits and vegetables such as grapes, onions and peanuts while Aspergillus flavus is a pathogenic fungus best known for its colonisation of cereal grains and legumes.

He expressed his appreciation and readiness to partner more with the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP),who collaborated with his company to acquire the crucial patent captioned: Antifungal agent from ligno-cellulose and lignin-free cellulose-based agro biomass materials via alkali fusion and oxidation of acid liquefied biomass cellulose materials after a three-year global search and due dilligence.

He said some researchers at the National Institute of Leather Research, Zaria,  conducted phytochemical screening of the synthesised extract with excellent results, noting that this achievement came at a time when bio-based materials are being applied for sustainability.

“There is a market of US$6 billion worldwide for the de-hairing agent which Owonikoko believes will benefit Nigeria immensely.

Although a relatively small company, Berekotry is doing Nigeria proud especially as the raw materials are basically agro biomass, things ordinarily seen as waste, thus adding steam to the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina’s constant call for Nigeria to enhance its agricultural value chain.

Said Owonikoko: “The local raw materials we are using are from agricultural waste; we are talking of those things we burn down on the farms after harvest – corn cobs, groundnut shells, rice husks etc. Fortunately, these things are well distributed all over Nigeria.”

The company also has patents in HSE Oil & Gas, lubricants, biochemicals, semiconductors, biocides, biosurfactants, inks & coatings, composites, etc.