Adewumi Ademiju 
As part of activities marking its 12th Convocation, the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) on Thursday held the 2024 International Hydrogen Summit.
The Summit was themed ‘Catalysing Green Hydrogen Development in Nigeria – The Capacity and Partnership Imperatives.
The Minister of State for Environment, Iziaq Salako, at the event, highlighted the significance of green hydrogen and added that the Federal Government, in line with Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP), recognizes the potential.
Salako, represented by the Director-General of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Professor Zaccharia Yaduma stated that “renewable energy sources like solar and wind, green hydrogen offers Nigeria a significant opportunity to diversify its energy supply and lead the global decarbonization effort”
He indicated Nigeria’s substantial solar energy potential, with an average of 11 hours of sunlight per day.
The Minister expressed the Commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to “unlocking the country’s energy and natural resources for sustainable development, making clean energy a driving force for job creation, poverty reduction, economic growth, and environmental health.”
The Ekiti State governor, Biodun Oyebanji described green hydrogen as “a major determinant of global sustainability.”
Oyebanji, represented by his wife Dr Olayemi Oyebanji explained that” Nigeria has the potential to produce green hydrogen at competitive prices as a result of abundant sunlight, wind, and water.”
This according to him will “secure the energy future, drive economic growth, and create jobs for Nigerians, which will further make the country a top exporter of green hydrogen.”
The Director of Hydrogen Research Institute, ABUAD, Professor Adeniran Afolalu said the summit aimed at highlighting green hydrogen’s potential as a sustainable energy source, contributing to the achievements of SDGs and mitigating climate change by decarbonising key sectors such as transportation, power generation, and fertiliser production.
He added that the summit strives “to accelerate Nigeria’s energy transition towards a sustainable future by fostering robust partnerships and supporting capacity development.”
In his remark the ABUAD founder, Aare Afe Babalola urged the Federal government to include private universities in the Student Loans Scheme.
The legal icon stressed that all students in either public or private Universities are eligible to benefit the Student Loans as Nigerian citizens.
Babalola expressed discontentment over the government’s failure to provide private universities with funds for research projects that could benefit both the nation and humanity.
He said, “Recently, the Federal Government established the Students Loan Scheme. Yet, students from private universities are excluded. Are they not Nigerians? What steps have been taken to address this?
“TETFund was also established by the Federal Government, with its funding sourced from private organizations. However, private universities are excluded from accessing these funds. Why? What action has been taken on this issue?
“The government allocates research funds to public universities, yet I am not aware of any university, public or private, that has achieved more in research than ABUAD. Still, ABUAD has not received government support in this area.”
The elder statesman highlighted the importance of the International Hydrogen Summit in advancing green hydrogen development, adding that humanity still has much to do to harness green hydrogen for economic, educational, and healthcare benefits.
He urged the participants to ensure that the resolutions from the summit are implemented, noting that past summits often failed to deliver tangible results.
“Ideas rule the world, but only those who implement their ideas are deemed successful. Ensure the resolutions from this summit are carried out”. Babalola said.
