Use alternative energy to power blue economy, engineers urge FG

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Environmental engineers have called on the federal government to harness alternative energy sources to drive Nigeria’s blue economy and boost national productivity.

The Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Environmental Engineers, Nureni Ogunyemi, made the call at the 2025 National Conference and Annual General Meeting held in Ibadan, Oyo State.

In a statement he issued on Thursday, Ogunyemi acknowledged the Federal Government’s efforts in driving decarbonisation strategies and improving health, safety, and environmental standards.

He said, “Nigeria is blessed with so many resources — we have water, we have land, we have sky. So diversifying into the water economy is a progressive vision for environmental engineers.

“We need to thank our members for aligning with government policies and the Nigerian Society of Engineers to see how we can tap into a new area of the economy.”

Also speaking, Environmental and energy expert, Stephen Adesola, urged greater collaboration among stakeholders to fully exploit the potential of the blue economy.

“Fairly recently, NMASA unveiled the Nigerian maritime carbon emission system at COP30 in Brazil, a system that measures and tracks our carbon footprint. And for me, that is a giant footstep.

“The IMO has also set very ambitious guidelines. And one step at a time, our government is making significant efforts to meet these timelines,” Adesola said.

He added, “Government is doing decently well, but we need to move the dots a lot further. Conversations around leveraging alternative energy sources are key. Nigeria currently sits on a 209-trillion-cubic-feet scope of gas reserves.

“How can we leverage this opportunity to drive the blue economy? Policymakers are walking the talk. Experts are walking the talk. But we need more collaboration.”

The Head of the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Lagos, Dr Kolawole Adisa, also raised concerns about pollution.

He particularly in Nigeria’s waterways, and highlighted the low recycling rate in the country.

“We are already working with the government to develop a technical document that will really push the potential in all this — what you consider as waste that is causing pollution in our oceans,” Adisa said, adding that plastic waste can be converted into economically valuable products.

Reflecting on the achievements of the association, Ogunyemi highlighted recent milestones under his leadership.

“In the first year of this administration, we were able to acquire a fossil vehicle for the institution to attend environmental programs.

“In the second year, we acquired a resource technology centre, which serves as the national secretariat for this great institution. Acquiring this made us the fifth division to have a national secretariat,” Ogunyemi said.

The conference also conferred fellowship status on deserving members for their contributions to environmental engineering.

Olugbenga is a fine-grained journalist with over nine years of experience. He loves the smell of a good lead and has a penchant for finding out interesting good reports.

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