FUO Develops An Indigenous Technology For Oil Remediation

Federal University Otuoke has landed a breakthrough in the area of remediation by developing an indigenous technology known as Consolidated Nano-technology Based bio remediation to be applied on any environment polluted by petroleum based hydrocarbon within the Niger Delta.



Making a presentation on the workability of the new technology at the maiden edition of Nigeria Oil and gas industry research and development fair and conference organized by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in Lagos, Sept 25-Sept 27, 2017.

The lead researcher and Director, Research and Quality Assurance FUO Dr Mrs Iheoma Adekunle noted that the CNB technology when applied transforms any oil polluted environment to a reusable soil at ambiance temperature.
According to Dr Adekunle the remediation end products can be used for construction work including block making, production of interlocking bricks or conditioned for agricultural purposes in terms of crop production.

The Director who stated that her research group has gone ahead to conduct safety assessment on the technology to ascertain its impact on plant and consumer safety using animal model, attested that the result was positive.
“We want to move away from conventional research in which you are limited within the Ivory tower, we want it to be tested outside for field application, and more importantly we want the commercialization of the product”.
CNB technology has been subjected to 23 years of research and Development as a home based technology.
Speaking earlier at the opening ceremony of the Research and Development fair and Conference, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB Engr. Simbi Wabote posited that the event forms the board’s initiative to re-energize the research and Development aspect of the local content practice.

Engr Waboted while noting the importance of Research and Development to the Nigerian oil and gas industry, enjoined oil and gas industry practitioners to give Research and Development the much desired prominence in the NCDMB compliance oversight.
The NCDMB Executive Secretary assured of the board’s intent to establish research clusters covering engineering studies, geological and physical studies, local material substitution and technology adaptation across four Universities in Nigeria.


He stated that the Board is providing a platform for the academia, researchers, product developers and inventors to showcase their breakthrough in the area of equipment, components, technology to oil and gas operators, potential investors and financiers which according to him will bring all the brilliant research work from the laboratories to the larger market.
Engr. Wabote pledged the Board’s financial support to Research and Development breakthrough in order to encourage and develop home based technology for national development.

The Minister of state for petroleum Resources Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachukwu who was represented by a Director in the Ministry of Petroleum commended the efforts of NCDMB for organizing the Research and Development conference to showcase the potentials of in-country research and development and their contributions to the growth of Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry.
“I am delighted that the NCDMB has now put in place the necessary apparatus for implementing aspects of the Nigerian Content Act that deal with Research and Development, This is important because of the significance of Research and Development in any growing economy; the amount of capital flight from Research and Development activities and enormous benefits of domesticating Industry research impacts on other critical sectors of the economy” the minister said.

Dr. Ibe Kachukwu enjoined participating investors to seize the opportunity to partner with researchers to commercialize their findings in a bid to grow the local economy which according to the Nigerian Petroleum Minister is a sure way of building local capacity, creating employment, and promoting in-country spending, increasing indigenous ownership of facilities and increasing sectoral linkage activities.

The three day Research and Development fair and conference brought together government officials, MDAs Industry players, the academia and public research institutes to cross-fertilize ideas on how to grow home based technology for economic recovery.
Researchers also used the occasion to exhibit their products.