Nigerian university develops biogas plant

Faith Ogbole, a researcher at the Bayelsa State Government-owned University of Africa Toru-Orua (UAT), has developed a plant for converting waste to methane gas or biogas, which serves as cooking gas.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the feat followed Ms Ogbole’s year-long research, which was funded by the Bayelsa State Government through the Bayelsa State Education Development Trust Fund.

The breakthrough will aid waste management, job creation and the provision of affordable cooking gas.

Ms Ogbole demonstrated the research findings when officials of trust fund visited the university in Toru-Orua, Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa, on Friday.

She thanked the fund’s management for funding the project to produce and purify methane gas from septic tanks and other environmental wastes such as plantain peals, animal dung, and grasses.

Ms Ogbole said the plant was locally fabricated.

She said that it would accept waste of all kinds, grind it, and pour it into a specially built, airtight tank to generate gas.

According to her, the gas is then passed through a purifier and ends up as methane gas, which is used for cooking, among other uses.

She said that the high cost of liquefied petroleum gas and the need to create jobs and wealth for the university and the state, propelled her work.

She added that the discovery would improve the environment.

NAN reports that Francis Sikoki, the vice-chancellor of UAT and acting chairperson of the trust fund, led other members of the state’s Scientific Research and Technology Development Committee to inspect the project.

Mr Sikoki, a professor, said the trust fund gave grants to some researchers in Bayelsa-owned tertiary institutions in 2024.

He described the biogas project as outstanding.

Mr Sikoki said that the trust fund was committed to supporting commercially viable and problem-solving research.

Earlier, the Chairperson of the Scientific Research and Technology Development Committee, Evelyn Adombazi, said the trust fund made a “good decision” in funding the research.

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She encouraged the researcher to improve on the project to make the gas accessible to most homes.

The team also inspected the progress of other funded projects, such as the Bayelsa Larvae Project and the Separation of Cyanide from Environmental Waste project.