Submitted on April 30, 2007
Accepted on June 4, 2007
Empowering Green Chemists in Ethiopia
Nigist Asfaw 1*,
Peter Licence 2,
Temechegn Engida 3,
Martyn Poliakoff 4*
1 Department of Chemistry, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
2 Department of Chemistry, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; The School of Chemistry, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
3 The Federation of African Societies of Chemistry, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.
4 The School of Chemistry, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nigist Asfaw , E-mail: nigista{at}chem.aau.edu.
Martyn Poliakoff , E-mail: martyn.poliakoff{at}nottingham.ac.uk
Green Chemistry, a relatively new branch of chemistry, aims to design less hazardous chemicals and processes to ensure the more sustainable use of chemicals and their production. It is particularly suited to the needs of Ethiopia and other rapidly developing countries of Africa that need to create indigenous chemical industries in the absence of large oil reserves. Here, we use our own experience of introducing Green Chemistry into Ethiopia as an example to encourage researchers in economically developed countries to help empower African scientists, enabling them to participate fully in the international scientific community and to prepare for the challenges ahead.
