The Acting Vice Chancellor of UNN, Professor Oguejiofo Ujam (2nd r); Director, ACE-SPED UNN, Professor Emenike Ejiogu (2nd left); and other team members during a World Bank conference at Accra Ghana.
By Alumona Ukwueze
NSUKKA – The Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Professor Oguejiofo Ujam, has said that the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Power and Energy Development (ACE-SPED) has demonstrated its capacity to tackle Nigeria’s energy crisis using local innovations.
Speaking following the Centre’s participation in a regional conference in Accra, Ghana, held from April 7–9, 2025, to mark 10 years of the World Bank Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence project, Ujam highlighted the Centre’s success in developing indigenous energy solutions.
He revealed that ACE-SPED’s waste-to-energy gasification system, built from locally sourced materials, has the potential to power all 774 local government areas in Nigeria through mini-grids.
“The University of Nigeria, Nsukka’s ACE-SPED has lived up to its core mandate—to provide homegrown solutions to Nigeria’s energy challenges,” Ujam said. “The Centre has developed high-voltage insulators and battery storage materials using locally available resources. Most notably, their waste-to-energy conversion system can be scaled for electricity generation and various industrial and agricultural uses.”
He called on industrialists to explore commercialization opportunities and urged state and federal governments to invest in innovative research at the university.
Also speaking, Professor Emenike Ejiogu, Director of ACE-SPED UNN, said the Centre showcased several groundbreaking innovations at the Ghana conference aimed at solving energy issues across the ECOWAS region.
Among the products exhibited were: Locally-made high-voltage insulators for import substitution, Solar generators with indigenous charge controllers, Non-destructive sensors for checking watermelon ripeness, Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) gasifiers for mini-grid power systems.
Prof. Ejiogu emphasized that the exhibition facilitated valuable networking with researchers, policymakers, academics, and private-sector investors interested in commercializing the Centre’s innovations.
He concluded that the innovations presented not only promote ACE-SPED but also enhance the reputation of UNN and Nigeria on the global stage.
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