Oscarline Onwuemenyi
28 February 2016, Sweetcrude, Abuja — The Federal Government has called for more research to be carried out on the best way to convert waste materials to improve power supply.
The Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, who made the call recently while receiving the Vice Chancellor and members of the governing council of the University of Maiduguri, disclosed that the waste-to-wealth programme can greatly improve power supply in the country if properly implemented.
Shehuri stated that the programme will, in addition to balancing the energy mix, also address environmental issues, adding that the initiative is also capable of “boosting the economic activities of Nigerians through the eradication of waste dump sites and landfills that usually pollute the air and water, especially in low-income and high density populated areas where waste generation is traditionally high.”
The minister called on the university and other academic institutions in the country to “guide students through training, research, and practical demonstrations on how recycling, composting and zero waste initiatives can improve power generation, thereby reducing the need for disposal facilities and, most importantly, enhancing economic activities.”
Speaking earlier, the vice chancellor of the university, Professor Ibrahim Njodi, informed the minister about the institutions forthcoming 22nd Convocation and 40th Anniversary ceremonies scheduled for April, 2016.
He stated that the university has not had any convocation ceremony since 2010 due to the insurgency in the state, in particular, and the North East region, in general. Njodi further hinted that this year’s convocation ceremony will showcase the university’s developmental strides in both human capital and infrastructure despite the prevailing security challenges.
In a related development, the minister has called on relevant Danish companies to come and invest in the construction and power sectors of the Nigerian economy, assuring them of the government’s cooperation.