NSUK Inaugural Lecture: Prof. Onovo’s Research capable of taming Nigeria’s energy crisis –Prof. Hala Kwon-Ndung

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By Samuel Torlumun

Immediate past President, Genetics Society of Nigeria, and the Director, Center for Genetics Studies, Federal University Lafia, Professor Emmanuel Hala Kwon-Ndung has said Nigeria’s energy crisis is alarming, needing urgent attention.

The Professor of Plant Genetics and Breeding stated this on Wednesday, while speaking with newsmen at the 44th inaugural lecture of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, (NSUK). He noted that despite the seemingly situation of despair, the research breakthrough of the Inaugural Lecturer, Profession Josiah Chukwudi Onovo provides a hope from the horizon.

Onovo, a Professor of Cytogenetics and Plant Breeding presented a lecture on a novel idea of producing renewable energy from switchgrass. He titled it, ‘Genetically Modified Switchgrass: A Harbinger for Renewable Energy and Economic Growth’.

Applauding the research work, Prof. Kwon-Ndung said the invention will go a long way to rescue Nigeria’s epileptic energy deficit.

“The energy crisis is a global phenomenon and Nigeria is in deficit or epileptic supply of energy. It is obvious that the gap between the energy need/demand in Nigeria, and the currently supply is extremely wide. So we are in high deficit that is why we need sources of energy that are renewable to complement it.

“So this research is an intervention in the sense that the provision of Bio-fuels is important in meeting up the demands. One thing about energy supply is that, you cannot get it all from one source. And the advantage of renew energy bio fuel is that it does not cause harm to the climate. It is also a source that is clean and can be use over and over again.

“This research has the potential to be able to promote that sector of energy supply in Nigeria. Again, the researcher has told us that, he is working on what he has been done so far, by taking further steps in domesticating this technology to be more useful to the society”, he said.