Scholar urges FG to invest in natural solutions for clean water, oil spill

By Dickson Omobola

Ph.D. student and Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, scholar currently studying at Cranfield University in the United Kingdom, Engr Orisawayi Abimbola Oluwatayo, has urged Federal Government to invest in natural and homegrown methods for cleaning water and addressing oil spills.

With the sponsorship of Petroleum Technology Development Fund PTDF, Abimbola is working on using everyday plants and natural materials, like Moringa oleifera, also known as the miracle tree, seaweed and farm waste to provide clean water to restore polluted environments.

He expressed dismay over the oil spills suffered in Niger Delta, but said the country’s land is rich in plants and materials that can help clean it up.

He said: “The Niger Delta has suffered so much from oil spills, but our land is rich in plants and materials that can help clean it up. We just need to start using what we have.”

Abimbola and his team have developed a way to prevent Moringa from dissolving too quickly by applying a special natural coating that extends its stability in water, making it more effective and safer for water treatment.

He said: “We have found a way to make Moringa more stable in water, so it works better and doesn’t break down too quickly. This could help provide clean water to many people at low cost.”

His work also uses seaweed found along Nigeria’s coasts. This seaweed contains a natural jelly-like substance called alginate, which can help trap harmful substances in dirty water. Additionally, materials like cassava peels and maize husks, which are often thrown away as farm waste, are being turned into useful fibres such as cellulose, which can also be obtained from these agricultural wastes, to help clean polluted water.

“These natural materials can be turned into something very valuable. Instead of burning them or throwing them away, we can use them to clean water and even help in oil spill cleanups,” he said.

According to him, his plant-based cleaning materials can soak up oil and remove it from the environment in a safe and natural way.

Meanwhile, as a lecturer from the department of Mechanical Engineering at Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa in Ondo State, Abimbola has been working in collaboration with other research from the Department of Chemical Sciences of the university. He has studied how Moringa-based materials both fermented and non-fermented can be used safely for water treatment and environmental protection.

In 2020/2021, he also received a Chinese Government Scholarship through a partnership with Nanjing Tech University in China and trainings from Niger Delta Development commission NDDC in 2016.

He said: “The training from NDDC, the scholarship from China, and the world-class facilities I now have access to in the UK have all helped me grow as a scientist. My dream is to bring this knowledge back home and set up a modern lab in Nigeria to help train others and solve local problems.”

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