In a bid to cushion the effects of power outages, the Oyakhilome Bello Foundation has trained over 100 youths on biogas and solar panel production in the country.
Mr Oyakhilome Bello, who is the founder of the foundation made this known at the ongoing Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Technology and Innovation Expo 2024 with the theme: “STI Solution to National Economic Challenge”.
The Innovation Science and Technology STI EXPO 2024 is expected to expose investors to commercialise research results, inventions, and innovations in the country.
Bello who is a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Bello explained that the gesture was to provide alternative energy sources to address the current epileptic electricity supply in the country.
“The youths we trained and empowered as an organisation from the country’s six geopolitical zones for six weeks, brought their Biogas and Solar production for Exhibition.
“We want Nigerians and the government to see biogas especially, as an alternative to generate electricity in this country, our plan is to invest more on Biogas and Solar panel production.
“We are working on a collaboration with the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and also the Energy Commission of Nigeria.
“We plan to take the project to rural communities to impact on the less privileged because that is our utmost desire, to touch lives and to change destiny,” he said.
Bello said the benefits of biogas were enormous, adding that besides being an alternative cooking fuel, producing biogas creates dignified jobs in the fields of local manufacturing, construction and the operation of biogas plants.
The APC United States national youth leader said communities and industries should be encouraged to adopt sustainable and accountable practices to manage their wastes which was a major material for biogas production.
Also speaking, Mr Olaniyi Ilori, the foundation’s National Co-ordinator
said it would continue to support the APC and the President Bola Tinubu’s administration to ensure it achieved its Renewed Hope agenda.
He said the Oyakhilome Bello Foundation was participating at the ongoing exhibition to showcase its innovation in Biogas and Solar panel production which had a lot of potential.
He noted that the potential in biogas was yet to be properly utilised and tapped into because of lack of awareness, adding that there was a need for sensitisation.
Ilori said though the ministry was doing a lot in other areas, there was a need for it to create awareness on biogas as an alternative to the expensive cooking gas.
This, he said, would help address the use of firewood as cooking energy source and deforestation by extension.
“The Ministry is expected to finance many waste-wealth projects across the country, all those waste around the country can be used to generate electricity that will empower millions of homes.
“As an NGO, we will continue to contribute to the development of our country in our own little way.
“With our participation in this year’s Federal Ministry of Science and Technology Exhibition, I see a lot of efforts being made by the ministry to make Nigeria a better place for all.
“But there is need to do more,” the foundation’s national co-ordinator said.
He assured that the Oyakhilome Bello Foundation was already working out modalities to partner the ministry on biogas and solar panel production and advised those critising the Federal Government to do so constructively with evidence and not hearsay.
Mr Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation Science and Technology had said that most of the research outcomes capable of transforming Nigeria to a technologically developed nation were not being translated fully into essential goods and services.
