The engineering team in the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) of Kwara State University (KWASU) in North Central Nigeria has converted Sedan, Hilux and 22-seater Coaster buses to electricity-powered vehicles.
The decision was in line with the institution’s desperate bid to survive the realities of climate change and petrol subsidy removal implemented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu barely six months ago.
Professor Shaykh-Luqman Jimoh, the Vice Chancellor of KWASU, disclosed this on Tuesday at a briefing to herald the combined 10th and 11th convocation for 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 graduates at the institution’s main campus Malete.
TheGuardian reported that Professor Jimoh stated that investors had started showing interest in the product.
The school authority said it targets mass production for commercialisation by next year.
He said the achievement was among the many ways to reduce the effect of the subsidy removal on the school community.
According to him, the engineering team was able to convert a Nissan bus from PMS to electric but hopes to produce an additional three (a Toyota Hilux, a Coaster and a Sedan three-seater) next year to be deployed to KWASU transport and clinic departments.
“With this success, the institution has been placed in the lead of rethinking its environmental culture and developing new paradigms for solving problems and ensuring global environmental sustainability.
“We consider it a major achievement, not just for our Green Initiative, but for our determination to add value to the economy of the state and her populace,” the VC said.
Soliciting the state government’s assistance, he urged individuals, who have scrap vehicles, to bring them for conversion at moderate charges.
