The Federal Government has budgeted N9 billion to support industrialisation initiatives across nine states, according to Victoria Adeyeye, chair of the governing council of the Academy of Innovative Research Science and Technological Development (AcIRSTD).

Adeyeye disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during her 75th birthday celebration, revealing that her team had signed a contract with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to facilitate the release of the funds.

AcIRSTD, a Nigerian academic and research organisation affiliated with the International Association of Research Scholars and Administration, has also approached the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, for N500 billion to support its agricultural initiatives.

Adeyeye said her research into agricultural and agro-allied activities in Nigeria started in 1999. She also disclosed that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been signed involving Queen Agro-allied University of Technology and associated organisations.

Reflecting on the country’s research and innovation efforts, she maintained that decades of work in these areas had placed Nigeria on a path towards greatness.

Meanwhile, researchers at the event highlighted scientific approaches that could improve agricultural productivity and strengthen the country’s oil and gas exploration activities.

Esther Tella, head of Environmental Health Science at Lead City University, Ibadan, advocated the use of biofertilisers derived from agricultural waste to restore soil fertility and enhance the nutritional content of food crops.

Presenting a research paper on sustainable and nutrient-dense crop production, Tella examined how materials such as maize cobs, rice residues and animal bones could be converted into biofertilisers to replenish farmland affected by soil nutrient depletion.

She called for alternatives that would reduce farmers’ dependence on chemical fertilisers, explaining that her research explored the potential of agricultural waste in producing organic soil-enhancing materials.

According to Tella, experiments involving soybeans, maize, cassava and pepper recorded improvements in nutrient composition among crops treated with the biofertiliser compared with untreated plants and those grown using conventional fertilisers.

She also urged the Federal Ministry of Environment to encourage households to separate their waste, pointing out that organic materials could contribute to soil rehabilitation while creating opportunities for new industries.

To expand the application of the technology, Tella recommended additional research, training for farmers and stronger partnerships involving government ministries, universities and other agricultural stakeholders.

In the oil and gas sector, Daniel Egu, head of Petroleum Engineering at Madonna University, Anambra, highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to lower exploration expenses and improve hydrocarbon prospecting in Nigeria.

During a presentation on emerging adaptive technologies in exploration and production, Egu explained that machine learning could process extensive geological information and help address uncertainties associated with oil and gas exploration.

“The volume of data is so large that sometimes software may even fail. So we try to use AI to reduce the degrees of complexity,” he said.

Egu disclosed that his research covered geological basins across Nigeria, including locations in the northern part of the country where exploration uncertainties and associated costs could be higher.

The study relied on approximately 5,000 data sources and five machine learning models, which were used to compare predictions and minimise errors in identifying potential hydrocarbon deposits.

He added that more accurate predictions could assist oil and gas companies in evaluating drilling locations and avoiding dry wells, which often lead to financial losses.

Source:Peoples Gazette