- KWASU converted three vehicles, a Sedan, a Hilux and a 22-seater Coaster bus, to electricity-powered vehicles.
- The acting VC calls on the state government and individuals to bring scrapped vehicles for conversion at moderate charges.
The engineering team at the Centre for Sustainable Energy, Kwara State University (KWASU), has converted a petrol-powered bus to an electric bus. The acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Shaykh-Luqman Jimoh, disclosed this at the 10th/11th combined convocation ceremony for the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic sessions. According to him, the achievement came in a bid to provide better alternatives to Nigerians due to fuel subsidy removal and the subsequent increase in the price of petrol.
He said, “With this success, the institution has been placed in the lead of rethinking her environmental culture and developing new paradigms for solving problems and ensuring global environmental sustainability. We consider it a major achievement, not just for our Green Initiative, but for our determination to add value to the state’s economy and populace. This initiative ensures higher efficiency in powering automobiles, helps our environment to be less polluted and has attracted partnerships with the Kwara State Government and private institutions.”
The acting VC said the university converted three vehicles, a Sedan, a Hilux and a 22-seater Coaster bus, to electric vehicles, adding that investors had begun showing interest in the product. He called on the state government and individuals to bring in scrapped vehicles for conversion at moderate charges. Furthermore, prof. Jimoh stated that the institution has commissioned a plastic recycling plant of the Centre for Entrepreneurship.
He added that with the initiative, tons of plastic waste that would have polluted the environment are currently being converted to pavement stones. Reacting to the development, the Governor of Kwara State, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, expressed excitement at the achievement. After inspecting the vehicle in the evening, he wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, commending the engineers and stating that the vehicle works perfectly with different accessories.