Atlanta, USA – A young Black inventor from Atlanta, Julian Brown, has stunned the scientific community and gone viral worldwide after developing a backyard process that converts everyday plastic waste into usable diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel.

Born in Tennessee and raised in Atlanta, Brown — a self-taught welder with no formal degree or laboratory — created a system called “Plastoline.”

Using an upgraded form of pyrolysis (a thermal decomposition process), enhanced with microwaves and solar energy for cleaner conversion, he built a small reactor capable of turning discarded plastics back into high-quality fuel.

Independent tests reportedly confirmed that the diesel and gasoline produced are among the most refined seen, and he has successfully powered vehicles with the fuel in live demonstrations.

Brown launched a startup called Nature Jab and began sharing his experiments on Instagram and TikTok, where the videos quickly gained millions of views globally. Despite suffering second-degree burns in a reactor explosion, he refused to abandon the project.

He attempted to raise $1 million to scale the technology but secured only tens of thousands of dollars. In July 2025, he posted that he was under attack before temporarily vanishing from public view.

He has since re-emerged, with supporters calling for his protection and greater investment in his work.

The innovation has sparked particular excitement across Africa, where plastic waste accumulates in massive quantities in landfills and communities.

Experts say Brown’s technology could offer a practical solution for turning waste into energy, addressing both environmental pollution and fuel shortages on the continent.

Commentators have criticised the lack of substantial support from investors and the broader community, questioning why a breakthrough with such transformative potential, especially from a young Black inventor, has not received wider backing.

Accra, Ghana – MTN Group is exploring significant investments in data centers in Ghana as Part of its digital push.

The telecoms giant says the move is a natural extension of its broader digital infrastructure strategy in one of its most important African markets.

Group Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita made the announcement during a strategic visit to Ghana at the beginning of 2026. He said the company is keen to partner with both public and private stakeholders to develop large-scale data centers that would enhance cloud computing, data storage, and digital service capabilities across the country.

Mupita stated that such facilities are critical to supporting Ghana’s long-term digital transformation and economic growth.

He acknowledged, however, that establishing world-class data centers would require addressing key infrastructure challenges, particularly reliable power supply, suitable land, and advanced cooling systems. MTN is therefore considering collaborative models to ensure projects meet both commercial viability and sustainability standards.

During his engagements, Mupita held discussions with MTN Ghana’s leadership, regulators, and senior government officials, including the Bank of Ghana, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, and Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Sam George.

He described Ghana as a priority market that “feels like home” and reaffirmed the Group’s commitment to deepening investments in digital infrastructure and financial inclusion.

On the fintech front, Mupita highlighted plans to expand mobile money services while working closely with the central bank to strengthen fraud prevention through artificial intelligence.

The visit underscored MTN’s ambition to remain a key partner in Ghana’s digital economy, driving innovation, job creation, and inclusive growth.

MTN Ghana (Scancom PLC) is the dominant telecommunications market leader in Ghana and has been recognized as a top-performing operation within the MTN Group. The company is actively shifting from a traditional telco to a technology platform company, with a focus on fintech (Mobile Money) and digital inclusion.

The Ukrainian government is actively exploring establishing a wheat flour production facility in Ghana, a move aimed at strengthening bilateral agricultural cooperation and expanding Kyiv’s foothold in West Africa’s rapidly growing wheat market.

The proposal was disclosed following a high-level meeting on April 8, 2026, in Accra between Ghana’s Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, and Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Denys Bashlyk.

Officials described the proposed industrial project as an extension of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two nations in November 2025. That agreement seeks to create a hub for processing and distributing Ukrainian agricultural products in Ghana and the broader West African region.

Strategic Push into a Booming Market

While specific details—including the plant’s location, investment cost, and production capacity—have not yet been made public, the initiative is expected to boost Ghana’s domestic wheat processing capabilities significantly.

Ghana’s demand for wheat-based products—including bread, biscuits, pasta, pastries, instant noodles, and pizza—has been rising steadily. According to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Ghana’s wheat imports surged by 56.7% over four years, rising from 697,309 tonnes in 2022 to 1.09 million tonnes in 2025.

For Ukraine, the project represents a strategic opportunity to gain a stronger presence in the Ghanaian market, where it currently has little footprint. As the world’s fifth-largest wheat exporter—after Russia, Canada, the United States, and Australia—Ukraine exported approximately 20.6 million tonnes of wheat in 2024.

From Raw Exports to Value-Added Processing

The development highlights growing interest by Eastern European agricultural powerhouses in investing directly in African processing infrastructure.

Rather than relying solely on raw commodity exports, countries like Ukraine are seeking to reduce dependence on volatile global markets by establishing local milling and distribution networks.

Such investments allow producer nations to capture more value along the supply chain while helping African nations reduce their reliance on imported finished products. For Ghana, a local Ukrainian-backed flour mill could stabilize supply, create jobs, and potentially lower costs for consumers.

Officials from both sides have indicated that feasibility studies are underway, with further announcements expected once technical and financial assessments are complete.

The project aligns with Ghana’s broader agenda to enhance food security, attract foreign direct investment in agriculture, and position itself as a regional agro-processing hub.