The study by Amiolemen and Adenekan
(2025) presents a groundbreaking empirical assessment of how eco-innovation
practices can serve as viable solutions to urban soil contamination by heavy
metals. This study was conducted in Ijebu-Ode, Nigeria, and employed
land-use-based soil sampling across mechanic workshops, industrial sites,
roadsides, and market zones to quantify contamination levels of lead (Pb),
cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe). Results
showed that mechanic workshops and industrial areas recorded the highest
pollution load indices, reflecting the intensity of unregulated industrial and
vehicular activities.
What makes this research stand out
is its integration of the Quintuple Helix Concept, a framework linking
government, academia, civil society, industry, and the environment in a
circular system of innovation. The authors demonstrate that heavy-metal contamination
extends beyond soil to air, water, and food systems, thus demanding
multi-sectoral eco-innovation in policy and practice. Recommended interventions
include green infrastructure, phytoremediation, lead-free production
technologies, and regulatory reforms that incentivize cleaner industrial
processes.
Key Take-Home Points
- Mechanic
workshops are critical pollution hotspots recording lead enrichment levels
above 50 EF (extremely high).
- Eco-innovation
approaches, including the use of green technologies and hyperaccumulator
plants, can significantly mitigate soil toxicity and enhance remediation.
- The
study validates eco-innovation as a low-cost, community-driven model for
achieving SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
- Phytoremediation
and circular-waste systems should be prioritized for contaminated urban
zones to prevent heavy-metal bioaccumulation in food chains.
- Public
awareness and education, through collaboration among universities, local
governments, and industries, remain central to driving behavioral and
policy change.
Policy Narrative
This study reinforces the urgent
need for Nigeria’s environmental policy to shift from reactive cleanup to
preventive eco-innovation. Regulatory bodies such as NESREA and State
Ministries of Environment should establish enforceable limits for heavy metals
in urban soils and promote the integration of eco-industrial parks, lead-free
manufacturing, and green entrepreneurship schemes. Embedding these policies
into national sustainability frameworks would not only improve environmental
quality but also generate green jobs and enhance community health resilience.
In summary, Amiolemen and
Adenekan’s work provides a model for African cities seeking to align
environmental management, innovation policy, and public-health protection.
Through advancing eco-innovation in practice, Nigeria can transform its
contaminated urban soils into resilient ecological assets for future
generations.
Excerpts adapted from: Amiolemen,
S., & Adenekan, O. (2025). Utilizing Eco-Innovation Practices to Mitigate
Urban Soils Contamination from Heavy Metals. Global Journal for
Environmental Science and Sustainability, 2(1), 9–20. https://doi.org/10.69798/56261119
About the Writer
Aishat
Funmilayo Abdulraheem is a sociologist and public-health researcher who
examines how social and environmental determinants such as education,
transportation, and community structure shape health outcomes in Nigeria. She
has several scholarly contributions to her credit and is passionate about using
data-driven, collaborative approaches to advocate for sustainable and equitable
health systems in diverse settings.