Covenant University’s Department of Physics has been given kudos for identifying renewable energy as veritable tools for sustainable national development.

The Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Alhassan Zaku, expressed this delight at the opening ceremony of an International Ceremony /Workshop on Renewable Energy and Climate Change Mitigation organised by the Department in collaboration with Vine Renewable Energy, USA on Tuesday, July 14, 2009.

The Minister who also praised the University for its quest for raising a new generation of leaders for the country and humanity, said despite the country’s rich renewable energy endowment such as solar, wind, biomas and ocean, which has a relatively high level of replenishment and sustainability with low negative environmental effect, the nation still depends on fossil type energy which poses not only hazard to the environment but also danger for sustainable development.

“The Government is quite aware of the dangers of dependence on fossil fuel as the only major source of energy and power supply in the economy. It is to this effect that Government approved a National Energy Policy, which was produced under the supervision of my Ministry, in 2003.”

The Minister, who was represented at the occasion by Dr Eli Bala, Director of Renewable Energy at the Energy Commission of Nigeria, urged government, universities and other research institutions to seek ways of enhancing the streamlining of renewable energy technologies into the country’s energy mix thereby ensuring the maximisation of resources and conservation of scarce foreign exchange.

In his address also at the occasion, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Professor Julius Okojie advised institutions and private sector willing to initiate projects on renewable energy for the enhancement of quality teaching, research and community service to take advantage of NUC Graduates Employer Needs Assessment Survey, which he said was prepared to meet the labour market expectations towards producing knowledgeable and skilled graduates that will develop the country’s economy.

Professor Okojie who was represented by Mr Ladan Ashafa, said NUC as a quality assurance agency regulating University education Nigeria was fully convinced of the need to put its total weight behind the current efforts by Covenant University for being responsive to the development needs and aspirations of the country and Nigeria University System. He said the University has contributed immensely to the delivery of quality university education while improving access in the process.

“It is also our hope that other institutions as well as donor and development agencies will borrow a leaf from Covenant University as part of their community service/social responsibility to intervene in the enhancement of delivery of quality university education in Nigeria.”

Also Director-General/CEO, Energy Commission of Nigeria, Professor Abubakar Sani Sambo (OON), in his keynote address titled, “The Current State of Energy Supply, and the Role of Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development in Nigeria”, presented by Dr Bala, said the vigorous pursuance of the on going reforms in the oil, gas, and power sub-sectors of the country as well as the rehabilitation and upgrading of the existing under utilized energy infrastructure are the way forward in the quest for solutions to the nation’s energy crisis.

Professor Sambo also identified other factors such as encouragement of energy conservation and efficiency technology, continuous capacity building in the entire spectrum of energy development and establishment of adequate and appropriate incentive for attracting private funds in the development of the energy sector as being crucial to addressing the crisis in the energy sector.

In her remark, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Aize Obayan said the nation is blessed with abundant energy sources but paradoxically she is plagued with inadequate energy generation and distribution, a situation which has led to closure of many factories and relocation of multinationals from Nigeria to other African countries particularly Ghana.

The Vice Chancellor reiterated the importance of energy in the nation’s development, saying no meaningful development could be achieved without steady energy supply. She said the reality of climate change and the need to embrace the renewable energy has been crucial, adding that the aim of the conference/workshop was to see how viable collaboration can emerge between the University and stakeholders in renewable energy.

She expressed happiness that what started in 2007 in Physics Department of the university has become a reality adding that soonest the University in collaboration with Vine Renewable Energy USA and Hebrew University, Israel, will embrace the opportunities available in renewable energy to solve energy crisis facing our nation.

Professor Obayan who also declared the Workshop open on behalf of the Chancellor of Covenant University, Dr David Oyedepo, urged participants to be futuristic by looking at the nation’s needs and grow solutions that would be matched with concrete steps. “We can effect a change as we have enough human resource to match the abundant natural resources to effect positive impact and make the world worth living”.

Earlier, while welcoming the participants to the occasion, the Registrar, Dr. Daniel Rotimi stated that the University is birthed on the philosophy of change anchored on raising a new generation of leaders who are to provide solutions to various challenges of our time.

He expressed hope that the Workshop will not be reduced to a talk-shop as workshops are expected to bring about concrete evidence of what was discussed. He therefore charged participants to come out with unique solutions to solving energy crisis plaguing man.

Also in his welcome speech, the Head, Physic Department, Professor Elisha Babatunde, promised that the conference was not going to be a mere talk-shop but a platform to generate ideas geared towards providing solutions to energy crisis in the nation.

He said every nation is becoming aware of a suitable alternative, the renewable energy source, which he said is yet to be embraced and its development yet to be pursued with seriousness and determination it deserves.

Professor Babatunde told the audience that the University is collaborating with other institutions to source for silicon wafer and allied products for solar cell fabrication. He said a source of sand deposit rich in silicon of about 99 per cent has been discovered by the silicon research group in the University. He called on government, public and private companies, institutions, scientists and technologists to collaborate with the University in the project.

About 150 participants took part in the three-day conference/workshop which drew resource persons from both within and outside the country including Professor (Mrs.) Agnes C. Onyeagba of International Institute for Coordinated Research, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.