UNILORIN, Korean varsity partner on solar energy project

University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) has opened discussions with Kyungpook National University (KNU), South Korea, on how solar power farm can be established in UNILORIN, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, the Vice- Chancellor of UNILORIN, said on Monday.
Abdulkareem discloses this at a preliminary meeting between the management of UNILORIN and a delegation from the South Korean university in Ilorin.
The vice chancellor observed that such collaboration would guarantee reliable energy for immediate benefit of the university and its
environs.
He said there was need to invest in the building of solar power farms in the university and also to help address the epileptic power situation
in the country.
He lauded the innovative technological know-how of the Koreans in the production of sustainable energy.
Recalling his visit to South Korea, the vice chancellor said he was taken to an industry where solar energy was being used to produce
energy, adding that he was impressed.
He said “South Koreans are into the production of not only the energy itself, but the distribution.
“We hope their coming here will give us a chance to have that dream solar farm we have been asking for; it’s so simplified that
anybody can run it.”
The leader of the KNU delegation, Prof. Jeung-Soo Huh of the Department of Climate Change and Energy, expressed delight to be at
UNILORIN.
He stressed the importance of how academic research and industry expertise could be deployed to address the energy needs of Nigeria.
The Director of UNILORIN Renewable Energy Centre, Prof. Clem Akoshile, highlighted the benefits of cooperating with
other universities across the world, noting that the Ilorin university had engaged in research across many fronts despite limited funding.
He pointed out that “Nigeria is a country blessed with abundant human resources, including natural resources like oil.”
Akoshile, however, lamented the high population growth rate over the years without corresponding increase in infrastructure,
among which, electricity.
The event featured extensive presentations such as “Solar Hybrid Solutions for Business in Nigeria”, which emphasised the importance of funding in actualising renewable energy in the country.