Education
Nigeria can create 288,000 jobs from biodiesel by 2035, save – Expert – EnviroNews
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An expert in chemical engineering, Prof. Kessington Obahiagbon, says Nigeria can create 288,000 jobs and produce 1.5 billion litres of biodiesel by 2035 through investment in converting agricultural waste into fuel.
Obahiagbon, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Professorial Chairholder in Renewable Energy at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), made the projections on Thursday, October 15, 2026, in Benin.
The renowned chemical engineer delivered a lecture titled: “Agrowaste to Fuel: Biodiesel Development, Opportunities and Challenges for Youth Employment in the 21st Century” at the close-out seminar of the PTDF Professorial Chair in Renewable Energy.
According to him, the initiative can also save N1.5 billion in foreign exchange and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3.75 million tonnes.
He identified inadequate infrastructure, including roads, storage facilities and refineries, as major challenges hindering biodiesel development in Nigeria.
Obahiagbon called for government incentives, including tax breaks and subsidies, as well as infrastructure investment and private-sector participation to address funding gaps.
These incentives were to provide the expertise and technology required to develop the industry,” he said.
The PTDF professorial chair -holder said converting agricultural waste into fuel offered opportunities to diversify energy sources, manage waste sustainably and expand employment for young Nigerians.
In his address, Prof. Shuaibu Aliyu, Executive Secretary of the PTDF, reaffirmed the commitment of the fund to research, innovation, technological advancement and indigenous human capital development in Nigeria’s energy sector.
Aliyu, represented by Ereh Iyalla, Head of Gas Division at PTDF, described the research focus as timely, given Nigeria’s quest for sustainable energy, environmental protection, economic diversification and youth employment.
He said the PTDF Professorial Chair Programme was designed not only to support academic excellence but also to promote research addressing practical national and industry challenges.
“The PTDF Professorial Chair Programme represents the Fund’s commitment to strengthening research, innovation and human capital development in Nigerian universities.
“Through these chairs, PTDF seeks not only to support academic excellence but also to promote research that addresses real national and industry challenges,” he said.
Aliyu urged researchers to ensure that their findings went beyond academic publications to technology development, demonstration, industry adoption and commercialisation.
He encouraged UNIBEN and the researchers to sustain the partnerships and innovations developed under the programme beyond the close-out of the professorial chair.
In his remarks, Prof. Edoba Omoregie, SAN, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, commended PTDF for establishing the professorial chair.
Omoregie described it as an endowment aimed at strengthening the university’s research profile and enabling Nigeria to maximise its potential.
The vice-chancellor assured the fund that the university would continue to value and maximise the opportunity provided by hosting the chair.
By Usman Aliyu
