By Usman Aliyu
An professional in chemical engineering, Prof. Kessington Obahiagbon, says Nigeria can create 288,000 jobs and produce 1.5 billion litres of biodiesel by 2035 via funding in changing agricultural waste into gasoline.
Obahiagbon, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Professorial Chairholder in Renewable Energy on the University of Benin (UNIBEN), made the projections on Thursday in Benin.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) stories that the famend chemical engineer delivered a lecture titled: “Agrowaste to Fuel: Biodiesel Development, Opportunities and Challenges for Youth Employment in the 21st Century” on the shut-out seminar of the PTDF Professorial Chair in Renewable Energy.
According to him, the initiative can even save N1.5 billion in overseas alternate and scale back carbon dioxide emissions by 3.75 million tonnes.
He recognized insufficient infrastructure, together with roads, storage services and refineries, as main challenges hindering biodiesel improvement in Nigeria.
Obahiagbon referred to as for presidency incentives, together with tax breaks and subsidies, in addition to infrastructure funding and personal-sector participation to handle funding gaps.
These incentives have been to supply the experience and expertise required to develop the trade,” he stated.
The PTDF professorial chair -holder stated changing agricultural waste into gasoline provided alternatives to diversify power sources, handle waste sustainably and increase employment for younger Nigerians.
In his tackle, Prof. Shuaibu Aliyu, Executive Secretary of the PTDF, reaffirmed the dedication of the fund to analysis, innovation, technological development and indigenous human capital improvement in Nigeria’s power sector.
Aliyu, represented by Ereh Iyalla, Head of Gas Division at PTDF, described the analysis focus as well timed, given Nigeria’s quest for sustainable power, environmental safety, financial diversification and youth employment.
He stated the PTDF Professorial Chair Programme was designed not solely to assist educational excellence but additionally to advertise analysis addressing sensible nationwide and trade challenges.
“The PTDF Professorial Chair Programme represents the Fund’s commitment to strengthening research, innovation and human capital development in Nigerian universities.
“Through these chairs, PTDF seeks not only to support academic excellence but also to promote research that addresses real national and industry challenges,” he stated.
Aliyu urged researchers to make sure that their findings went past educational publications to expertise improvement, demonstration, trade adoption and commercialisation.
He inspired UNIBEN and the researchers to maintain the partnerships and improvements developed beneath the programme past the shut-out of the professorial chair.
In his remarks, Prof. Edoba Omoregie, SAN, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, counseled PTDF for establishing the professorial chair.
Omoregie described it as an endowment aimed toward strengthening the college’s analysis profile and enabling Nigeria to maximise its potential.
The vice-chancellor assured the fund that the college would proceed to worth and maximise the chance offered by internet hosting the chair. (NAN)
Edited by Chioma Ugboma
