…FG, Coscharis Tech commence capacity development on policy implementation for MDAs, others
By Seun Adams
A new dawn has no doubt commenced in Nigeria’s troubled electricity sector as the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (FMSTI) in collaboration with COSCHARIS Technologies on Tuesday rolled out the first phase of intensive capacity development programme for civil servants and staff across MDAs on the implementation of the National Policy on Methanol Fuel Production Technology Strategy Using DASSAULTS Systemes Solidworks Technology Apps.
Excited at the positive prospect of the emerging technology in Nigeria’s industrial space, while speaking with EXTRAORDINAIRE Reporter at the sideline, after unveiling the workshop, at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja, on Tuesday 28th, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Monilola Udoh, acknowledged that Nigeria’s silent industrial revolution, a cleaner electricity generation, accompanied massive job creation, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors rebound have commenced using the country’s abundant natural resources through the methanol fuel technology strategy.
According to her, Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources…especially with large deposits of petroleum and natural gas, stressing that the country has variety of renewable and non-renewable resources some of which she added have not been effectively tapped.
She admitted that solar energy is probably the most extensive of underutilized resources even as she expressed concern that this may remain untapped for a long time.
According to statistics, Udoh, averred that Nigeria has the 9th largest proven natural gas reserves in the world with 200 trillion cubic feet, explaining surprisingly that despite her comparative advantage across Africa only 25% of it are currently being developed.
The Permanent Secretary, however, bemoaned the fact that Nigeria has not taken advantage from her raw materials value industry catalysation unlike some of her counterparts in OPEC where human capacity and industrialisation of the exploitation of the resources.
According to her, these gaps have resulted in the waste of its gas resources due to flaring, adding: “With the signing of the Paris Agreement and its commitment under its nationally determined contribution to cut emission by 45% in the strategic sector linked to the country’s economic survival, the federal government had no option to issued the policy on methanol fuel production.”
While underscoring the technology as a viable way out of Nigeria’s dependency syndrome, especially on imported goods, she averred that methanol fuel technology if appropriately implemented will facilitate the efficient utilization of Nigeria’s gas resources, commercialized flared gas while reducing the associated environmental pollution.
While the workshop has become imperative, she added that the adoption of methanol fuel technology remains a viable alternative to fossil fuels, explaining that the implementation of a technology strategy across the country will require the deployment of SolidWorks software which will be driven through PPP initiative, through Coscharis technologies.
In a remark, the Director Environmental Sciences and Technology (EST), Dr. Peter Ekweozoh, while corroborating the Permanent Secretary, on the roll out of the training programme, added that the Ministry is focused at driving the technology to impact the socio-economic development of Nigeria’s growing population currently put at more than 200 million.
He said: “Today, Nigeria is at edge of the deployment of full digital economy, all these developments are the direct efforts of the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation which gave birth to the Ministry of Communications Technology and you are all witness to the progress that NITDA has made. Today, marks the beginning of another phase to that giant stride.”
According to him, the methanol fuel technology will positively transform lives across sectors apart from fast-tracking the acceleration of the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the 7 sectors actually have been pledged by the Federal Government to be committed in cutting down Global Warming (GW) by 47%, adding that the sectors include: Agriculture, energy, water resources, waste sector, transportation and oil and gas.
However, Ekweozoh, stressed that it is has therefore become imperative for the Ministry to come up with solutions, innovations, technologies and scientific tools that will enable the country implement the novel conventions under the Paris Agreement particularly the national climate change adaptation.
“So, we came up with a technology that will add value and create jobs in millions especially in the manufacturing and chemical industries value chain and will help us to generate cleaner electricity and also will help us help to cut down global warming.
“Now bearing this in mind, it is therefore important that the FMSTI comes up with a framework for accelerating all components of that value chain and that will of course will start from what we are doing today.
“We have therefore come up with a software and use it use to develop the various components of the production process, standards, quality control and processes that will help the country reduce its carbon emission.
“The take-away from this training/workshop is that our engineers will get the idea of that basic components of the technology apart from the software technology, all these aspects of technology should be mastered by young Nigerians so that we can own the technology from the beginning to the end of it.” He said.
