By Felix Ikem, Nsukka
The Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Oguejiofo Ujam, has stated that the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Power and Energy Development (ACE-SPED) is equipped to address Nigeria’s energy crisis with local innovations.
Speaking after the centre’s participation in a regional conference in Accra, Ghana, from 7–9 April 2025, marking 10 years of the World Bank Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence project, Ujam praised ACE-SPED’s homegrown solutions.
He noted that its waste-to-energy gasification system, built with locally sourced materials, could power all 774 local government areas in Nigeria via mini-grids.
“The University of Nigeria, Nsukka’s ACE-SPED has lived up to its core mandate—to provide homegrown solutions to Nigeria’s energy challenges,” Ujam said.
“The Centre has developed high-voltage insulators and battery storage materials using locally available resources. Most notably, their waste-to-energy conversion system can be scaled for electricity generation and various industrial and agricultural uses.”
He urged industrialists to explore commercial opportunities and encouraged state and federal governments to fund the university’s innovative research. Prof. Emenike Ejiogu, Director of ACE-SPED UNN, added that the centre showcased groundbreaking solutions at the Ghana conference, targeting energy issues across the ECOWAS region.
These included locally made high-voltage insulators for import substitution, solar generators with indigenous charge controllers, non-destructive sensors for checking watermelon ripeness, and Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) gasifiers for mini-grid power systems.
Ejiogu said the event enabled networking with researchers, policymakers, academics, and investors keen on commercialising these innovations, boosting UNN and Nigeria’s global reputation.
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