Isaac Kayode Adegun, a professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ilorin, has admonished Nigerian entrepreneurs to tap natural resources adequately to grow the economy and create wealth.
He said judicious utilisation of natural resources by Nigerians would support development of the nation.
Adegun, who stated this while presenting the 193rd inaugural lecture of the university, titled ‘God The Creator, Man The Manipulator: The Journey So Far In Engineering Manipulation Of Fluids And Geometries For Human Life’, lamented that resources were being manipulated negatively in the country.
According to him, Nigeria was blessed with abundant resources which could be used to construct, produce and generate adequate needs for improving human standard of living without going outside the country to import them.
“God has really helped Nigeria. Crude oil, which gives about 90percent our foreign exchange, is fluid; it should therefore be judiciously manipulated for the development of our nation,” he said.
The inaugural lecturer, who has locally invented biogas, spooter, Tyre pyrolytic oil, gas chromatography, guinea corn-rice separation machine, Refacon machine, among others, explained that Biogas had a lot of applications ranging from domestic to industrial use, part of which included cooking, generation of electricity and fuel for vehicular use.
Adegun pointed out that for the country should develop in engineering and technology, Federal Government must identify some engineering products being produced locally and place a ban on their importation.
Adding that since there was no gain without pain, the Federal Government should employ the same step it took in stopping rice importation to engineering products made locally by declaring a state of emergency on engineering research and development, tasking some faculties of Engineering/Technology with some specific products over a given period of time.
He said it was shameful that Nigeria still imported products like tiles, upholsteries and even some vehicular component parts which could be made locally, saying, “We must be compelled to patronise the local engineering products”.
“The air we breathe is a fluid, the water for bathing and drinking is a fluid; fart (flatulence, spoiling gas), that is, a waste from human-beings is also a fluid. All fluids are directly or indirectly created by God for human use. The way we use the air around us can make or mar our lives. Do not pollute the air around you,” he admonished.
He, however, charged Nigeria to take a cue from developed nations utilising their resources to generate wealth, as he revealed that he was planning to develop a biomass-based steam turbine engine for Nigerian use and he would continue to research until he was fulfilled.
SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin
