Stories by Olabisi Olaleye [email protected] 08094000013, 08111813040
The reliance on oil in Nigeria has done more harm than good and more often than not the country experiences artificial scarcity of petroleum products and unstable price of the products.
Through diversification, most countries of the world now leverage on biofuel, which has helped to cushion the effects of any volatility in the traditional product.
Biofuels are any solid, liquid or gaseous fuel produced from organic living materials. The two main types of biofuels currently in production in Australia are bioethanol and biodiesel. Bioethanol is used as a replacement for petrol and biodiesel is used as a substiture for diesel.
According to Green Fact, an online journal, current world oil demand amounts to over 4,000 million tonnes of oil equivalent (mtoe) while the production of liquid biofuels amounts to 36 mtoe, representing less than 1 per cent of world demand.
Around 85 per cent of liquid biofuels are currently produced in the form of bioethanol, with the main producers being Brazil and the USA. Biodiesel production is essentially concentrated in the European Union.
Biofuels, industry watchers say, has the potential to allow telecom operators access to a mode of commercially and environmentally sustainable power supply.
Some sectors are looking inwards to deploy this technology because of the way it would reduce operational expenditure (opex).
Daily Sun’s investigation revealed that telecommunication service providers need to look for alternative energy and leverage on biofuels.
Using biofuels, many industry watchers say, would not only lead to lower spending but will further push up the next billion mobile device users.
It would also save huge amounts of diesel or other hydrocarbom fuels as well as encourage green environment by cutting carbon emissions by up to 6.3 million tonnes.
According to a stakeholder in the telecoms industry, Mr. Remmy Nweke, alternate energy like biofuels could be produced in a manner that contributes to the socio-economic development of rural people and communities, thereby giving hope to its sustainability.
“Nigeria should wake up by embracing biofuel feed stocks through the avalanche of research institutes, especially the over 94 universities in the country with corporate organisations sponsporing them so as to encourage research and development in this regard,” he said.
During the inauguration of Rlg mobile phone company in Osun State a couple of years ago, the company’s chairman, Mr. Roland Agambire, unveiled the company’s vision of investing heavily in biofuel to boost electricity.
According to him, biofuels were being cultivated for a more reliable, sustainable power supply that is not from the national grid.
Meanwhile, the Global System for Mobile Association (GSMA), estimated that over 1,500 base stations have been powered worldwide through one form of renewable energy, but investing in green power sources could help to recoup capital cost within a shortwhile.
“The use of diesel generators as the default power backup of off-grid and grid-connected telecom tower sites comes with its implicit disadvantages in terms of high cost of power, diesel logistics and theft, as well as having a negative environmental impact due to high CO2 emission per kWh consumed,” the group said.
Varsity tasks youths on ICT development
In a bid to revive the economy through the non-oil sector, especially through information and communication technology (ICT), Nigerian students and youths have been challenged to take up skills in technology.
Making this charge recently, the Vice Chancellor of Paul University, Awka, Anambra State, Venerable (Prof.) Uche Isiugo-Abanihe, when the school joined the world to mark its Computer Science Education Week, said students need to develop keen interest in ICT, as technology plays an indispensable role in the lives and livelihoods as modern human beings.
He stressed that technological innovation was not just for those in computer science, since there is hardly any sector in Nigeria that could flourish today without ICT.
He declared that technology was a potent tool to lift the nation out of recession, if fully embraced by the youths, who make up the largest percentage of Nigeria’s population.
Isiugo-Abanihe lauded the technological feats of the students of Paul University, who built mobile and web apps to solve several problems.
While applauding the founder of Women in Technology of Nigeria (WITIN), Mrs. Martha Omoekpen Alade, for bringing the Young Coders Club to Paul University, a hub that grooms young developers, the Vice Chancellor stressed the need for government to make the economy stable for the populace to come out with innovations that would solve peoples’ problems.
The VC commended the outstanding students who pitched their apps to the entire university community. They included Ezewanne Chidinma, Ejimgini Ginika, Maureen Osita, Nzelu Adaobi, Isaac Ogochukwu and Ofo-muogbo Daniel, who built “RIBE – An Ibo Cuisine app”; and Ibegbu Christian Amara, Anaso Ebuka Precious, Nwogu Kelechi, Nwose Benjamin Ebuka and Muanya Ugochukwu (“Tourist Buddy app”). Others were William Anazodo, Bethel Nmerah, Dijeh Emmanuel, Robby Emmanuel and Eusebius Nnaemeka (“NCHE – Anambra Security Beacon app”); Okafor Christopher, Umejiuba Valentine, Ubochi Chiemeka, Okoro Favour and Anthony Ruth (“Ezicha – a safe environment app”); and Olisaemeaka Chukwuebuka, Muttoh Chinonso, Okoronkwo Mercy, Okaro Kenechukwu and Emeka Anaso (“Agroplay – agricultural gaming app”).
Highlighting the critical role of computing to modern economy, head of Computer Science and Information Technology Department of Paul University, Prof. Paul Nosike, said, apart from solving major problems, ICT also creates jobs and curbs youth restiveness “because they are kept busy doing something.”