UNILAG unveils zero-emission drive on campus

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has partnered with Ogata Global Resources Limited to launch a zero-emission drive on campus.

The initiative is to ensure a transportation system that is financially and environmentally friendly.

Folasade Ogunsola, the vice-chancellor of UNILAG, who unveiled the buses on Monday, said that the university was vigorously pursuing a pollution-free environment, citing emissions as one of the greatest causes of pollution.

“Let me take a step backwards, even much earlier, the University of Lagos made up a plan that we were not going to pollute the air and you’ll find that when you go around the campus like that, you’re not going to find many generators.

“We decided that we were going to have a central generator to reduce emissions. It has come at a cost, but we felt it was a cost worth paying to ensure our future, that we were part of the solutions for the future. We also then decided that we needed to reduce cars and car emissions,” she said.

Ogunsola further explained that though ensuring a pollution-free environment would take a little longer, the university was starting by collaborating with Ogata Global Resources Limited, who are alumni of the university.

“The vehicles are electric cars but they also have a backup of solar energy and it’s for public transportation around the campus.

“Besides, it’s also will cost less; so we are taking care of students and staff welfare while also taking care of the environment,” she said.

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Henry Eke, the chairman of Ogata Global Recourses Limited, said the “UNILAG Zero Emission Drive” was a way the alumni decided to give back to the university that brought them to the limelight.

Eke told BusinessDay that for a start, they have on ground eight buses but hope to increase the number with time.

Speaking on the cost of bringing the buses from China, he said; “It costs about $8,500 to buy a bus. However, we paid N11 million to ship and clear a bus.”

He said that the idea of coming to UNILAG is to help students and the university community mitigate the economic challenges by reducing their transportation costs and ensuring a cleaner environment for learning.

“We will be charging N100 per ride, that’s a 50 percent cut of the prevailing charges; and we will engage students to drive the buses on a part-time basis, hence, providing a kind of job for students at the same time,” he explained.

Eke revealed that it would cost Ogata N2,000 to charge each of the vehicles daily through the assistance of UNILAG.