The Petroleum Technology Development Fund has urged researchers to translate their findings into practical technologies, industry applications and commercially viable products rather than limiting their work to academic publications. Its Executive Secretary, Professor Shua’ibu Shehu Aliyu, said research should address real national and industry challenges.
Aliyu made the call at the close-out event of the PTDF Professional Chair in Renewable Energy in Benin City. Represented by the fund’s Head of Gas Division, Ereh Iyalla, he reaffirmed PTDF’s commitment to strengthening research, innovation and human capital development in Nigerian universities.
He urged research institutions to develop practical solutions in renewable energy and other emerging technologies. Aliyu cited the conversion of agricultural waste into biodiesel as an example of how research could turn environmental challenges into opportunities for waste management, entrepreneurship, local technology development and youth employment.
Delivering a lecture titled “Agro-Waste to Fuel: Biodiesel Development in Nigeria, Challenges and Opportunities for Youth Employment in the 21st Century,” the PTDF Chair in Renewable Energy, Professor Kensington Obahiagbon, described the use of agricultural waste as biodiesel feedstock as a key principle of the circular economy.
Obahiagbon said government support through tax incentives, subsidies and infrastructure investment would be essential to developing Nigeria’s biodiesel sector. He also stressed the need for private-sector investment to bridge funding gaps and provide the technology and expertise required for large-scale production.
He identified inadequate roads, storage facilities and refineries as major obstacles to the sector’s growth. He added that producers also needed a stable and sustainable supply of feedstock, including vegetable oils and animal fats, to support production.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Professor Edoba Omoregie, thanked PTDF for selecting the institution to benefit from the initiative. He highlighted the importance of renewable energy to national development and assured the fund that the university would continue to value the partnership and maximise the opportunities it provides.
