Victoria Adeyeye, chair of the Academy of Innovative Research Science and Technological Development’s governing council, says the federal government has budgeted N9 billion to boost industrialisation efforts in nine states.

AcIRSTD is a Nigerian academic and research organisation. It is affiliated with the International Association of Research Scholars and Administration.

Ms Adeyeye said the fund would be made available through the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, stating that her team had signed a contract to that effect.

Ms Adeyeye, who said this on Thursday in Abuja during her 75th birthday ceremony, added that decades of research and innovation had put Nigeria on the path to greatness.

Ms Adeyeye said the body similarly requested N500 billion from the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari.

She said her research into agricultural agro-allied activities in Nigeria began in 1999, adding that an MoU involving Queen Agro-allied University of Technology and associated organisations was also signed.

Esther Tella, head of environmental health science at Lead City University, Ibadan, said biofertilisers produced from agricultural waste could restore soil fertility and improve the nutritional value of food crops.

Presenting a research paper on sustainable and nutrient-dense crop production, Ms Tella advocated alternatives that could reduce farmers’ reliance on chemical fertilisers. She said her research examined agricultural waste, including maize cobs, rice residues and animal bones, for producing biofertilisers to replenish depleted farmland.

Ms Tella said trials involving soybeans, maize, cassava and pepper showed improved nutrient composition in crops treated with the biofertiliser, compared with untreated crops and those receiving conventional fertilisers. She urged the Federal Ministry of Environment to promote household waste segregation, noting that organic waste could support soil restoration and create new industries.

Ms Tella called for further research, farmer training and collaboration among government ministries, universities and agricultural stakeholders to expand the technique.

Daniel Egu, head of petroleum engineering at Madonna University, Anambra, said artificial intelligence and machine learning could reduce exploration costs and improve hydrocarbon prospecting in Nigeria.

Presenting a paper on emerging adaptive technologies in exploration and production, Egu said machine learning could analyse large geological datasets and help manage uncertainties in oil and gas exploration.

“The volume of data is so large that sometimes software may even fail. So we try to use AI to reduce the degrees of complexity,” he said.

Mr Egu said his research examined geological basins across Nigeria, including northern areas where exploration uncertainties and costs could be higher.

He said the study used about 5,000 data sources and five machine learning models to compare predictions and reduce errors in identifying hydrocarbon prospects.

Mr Egu added that improved predictions could help companies assess drilling prospects and avoid dry wells, which result in financial losses.

(NAN)