Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan (UI), Professor Olufemi Bamiro, has called on President Umaru Yar’Adua to commence the process of nuclear power generation immediately, if he intends to address the problem of power supply in the country.
Speaking at an interactive session with newsmen on the recent grant awarded the premier institution by MacArthur Foundation for the institution of the Masters degree programme in Development Practice (MDP), the university administrator, however, commended the efforts of the Federal Government to resuscitate the nation’s ivory towers with recent intervention on infrastructure development of the campuses.
“We have enough resources that we can tap now, in term of gas, in term of bio-fuels. We have a lot of gas reserve. If the nation is really serious on the issue of energy, this is the time we should start focusing and thinking about nuclear power generation. We should have it as a sort of plan that in the next 10 years we should research seriously into nuclear power generation.
“A number of nuclear scientists were trained at ABU and OAU, Ile-Ife but again they were frustrated and they left. I believe that if we are serious in addressing our energy problem on a long term basis, then we should start doing something now as regard nuclear energy. Fortunately for us, we have a lot of gas reserve. We have a lot of professionals, expertise for this. And the time to do it is now,”
On the recent ETF intervention that fetched the institution a princely sum of N5.5 billion, the vice-chancellor assured that such gesture would go a long way in improving the university environment and consequently put a stop to brain drain affecting the tertiary institutions.
Bamiro, however, pointed out that the ETF fund was a drop in the ocean when compared to the huge bill brought by various departments of the institution and in view of the dwindling internal generated revenue of the institution vis-à-vis the global economic meltdown.
On the MDP programme, the vice-chancellor, accompanied by principal officers of the university, disclosed that adequate preparations have been made to ensure smooth takeover of the programme while collaborative efforts with some institutions in and outside the country have been instituted.
He disclosed that the institution has conclude arrangement to partner with University of Columbia, African Development Bank, Development Policy Centre (DPC) and other institutions in the country on the implementation of the programme to ensure quality delivery.