Patrick LemougnaNinla, young Cameroonian scientist, has just been honoured in Yaoundé with the Kwame Nkrumah National Young Scientists Award which is under the helm of the African Union and the World Academy of Science for the advancement of sciences in developing countries (AU-TWAS).

Receiving the distinction directly from the Minister for scientific research and Innovation, Madeleine Tchuinté, the youth owes it to an invention which is about to stir a little revolution in the cement sector.

Indeed, the 30-year old scientist, chemistry graduate of the University of Yaoundé I, has developed a cement variety made of laterite, material which is available on 70% of Cameroon, but not really used.

In addition to the availability of this material, the “cement made in Lemounga” presents diverse ecologic advantages one of which is that, its production emits substantially less CO2 than the Portland cement made from clincker and pozzolan heated at 1,400 degrees.

With an available and cheap raw material, this laterite-based eco-cement should contribute in the lowering of cement prices in Cameroon and Africa as dreams the young scientist.

For now however, production is still at the pilot-stage. Industrializing his product requires a considerable funding, which sadly proves scarce for many young African scientists.