Ilorin — THE Vice Chancellor of Kwara State University, Professor Abdul Rasheed Na’Allah, has said that the United Nations Educational and Cultural, Scientific Organisation, UNESCO, has approved a research grant worth $15.3 million for Alternative Energy Programme for the university.

Na’Allah noted that the grant was expected to be utilised over a six-year period to establish the UNESCO Chair for the project.

He explained that the grant known as a UNESCO Chair was for research in alternative energy and was to be handled by the University Centre for Ecological and Environmental Research, Management and Studies, CEEMRS.

The university don stressed that the Chair would serve as the pivot initiative for development of educational training, research and economic growth for exploring alternative energy in the country.

The programme according to him would harness national, regional and international resources through inter-university and private sector collaboration in the country, adding that it would equally address critical energy concerns in Nigeria through alternative energy development.

The benefits according to the VC were designs of adaptive technology transfer, scholarly exposure of their students, researchers and management staff, entrepreneurship skill development for small and medium scale industries as well as literacy and educational awareness of urban and rural areas on utilisation of abundant and available energy.

Other benefits he listed include the long term benefits of exploring alternative energy  which includes contribution to means of energy provision to rural areas, thereby combating urban to city migration, reduction of energy cost required for means of production, utilisation of biomass, address societal ills of high crime often aided by darkness, waste to energy would reduce pollution so that carbon dioxide emission can be monitored and reduced.