Date: 29/09/2026
Time: 14:00 – 15:00 (BST)
Location: Online
Cleaner resources, healthier communities: tackling pollution from the mining and maritime industries
In this webinar, Commonwealth Alumnus Professor Abiodun Mary Odukoya will explore the dilemma of increasing resource extraction and transportation, which both drives economic growth while creating significant environmental and public health challenges, particularly for vulnerable communities.
Drawing on real-world case studies, the session will examine how mining activities, especially artisanal and small-scale operations, can release toxic metals such as mercury, lead, and arsenic into the air, water, and soil, with lasting impacts on ecosystems and human health. It will also explore how transport and maritime activities can spread pollutants far beyond mining sites, affecting urban and coastal populations through air pollution, contaminated dust, and declining water quality.
With expertise in environmental science, geochemistry, public health, and policy, Abiodun will showcase how science and technology can drive sustainable resource development through innovation, environmental monitoring, safer practices, and effective regulation.
The webinar will address the CSC development theme of Science and technology for development.
The CSC’s Development in Action webinar series provides an opportunity for Commonwealth Scholars and Alumni to present on their work and contribution to development across a range of contemporary global challenges and provide insight into ongoing research and action.
Open to all Commonwealth Scholars and Alumni, the monthly webinars will address one of the CSC’s six development themes and provide an opportunity for attendees to engage in real-time Q&A discussion on the topic presented.
You can watch previous webinars on the CSC’s YouTube channel.
Abiodun is a distinguished Nigerian geoscientist and Professor of Environmental Geochemistry and Medical Geology at the University of Lagos. Her internationally recognised research explores the links between geology, environmental health, and sustainable development, and she has produced more than 50 publications for leading peer-reviewed journals.
Abiodun has received prestigious awards and international funding for her research, including the Royal Society of Chemistry Award in 2022 and grants from the State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry in China, Queen’s University in Canada, and the University of Lagos in Nigeria.
She is a passionate advocate for women in science and has played a pioneering role in the field. She has mentored PhD researchers and championed gender inclusion throughout her career. She is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society and has held several leadership roles within the profession.
Abiodun became the first female professor and later the first female Head of the Department of Geosciences at the University of Lagos. She currently serves as the first female Director of the Institute of Maritime Studies and was previously the first female Chairman of the International Medical Geologists Association (Nigeria Branch). Through her research, leadership, and mentorship, she continues to advance the role of science and technology in sustainable development.
Professor Abiodun Mary Odukoya is a 2023 Commonwealth Professional Fellow from Nigeria. She completed her Fellowship at British Geological Survey
