How Kaduna Produces Fuel From Sugarcane, By El-Rufa'i

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufa'i, said the state Ministry of Science and Technology, in collaboration with Science Technology Forum (STF), has successfully produced bio-ethanol fuel grade from sugar cane.

El-Rufa'i disclosed this while declaring open an international workshop on Bio-fuel Production Technology at the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Zaria.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr. Madina Shehu, El-Rufa'i said the government intends to upgrade that initiative into a full scale commercial outfit.

"In line with this initiative, the state government is on the process of constructing another plant at Unguwan Mu'azu to produce bio-diesel from Jatropha Curcas," El-Rufa'i said.

The Director General of NARICT, Professor Idris Bugaje, in his remarks, advocated the inclusion of bio-fuel training at the undergraduate, National Certificate in Education (NCE), National and Higher National Diploma levels in order to address the country's renewable energy challenges.

The don said it was imperative for the country to give emphasis to research on bio-fuel in view of the fact that renewable energy plays critical role in national growth and development of countries world over, adding that the sector can create jobs for the army of the country's unemployed youths.

Bugaje urged the Federal Government to prioritise the completion of the Petroleum Training Institute, Kaduna, which was started by late President Umaru Yar'Adua, but abandoned after his death.

He also called for the renaming of the institute to Petroleum and Bio-fuels Technology Training Institute (PBTTI) in order to expand the mandate of the institute to include bio-fuel.

Former Vice-chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Professor Ango Abdullahi, lamented how Nigeria's technological breakthroughs and researches were dusting up on the shelves of different tertiary institutions of the country.

Ango said Nigeria needs to find alternative to firewood, otherwise desert encroachment would continue to be one of the predicaments of the country, adding that patriotic leadership can utilise the resources of Nigeria to address her different challenges