The engineering team in the Centre for Sustainable Energy of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, has converted a petrol engine bus to an electric-powered one.

The acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Jimoh Shaykh-Luqman, disclosed this at a press conference heralding the 10th and 11th combined convocation ceremony for 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic sessions on Tuesday.

Shaykh-Luqman said the achievement came on the heels of the removal of subsidy on petrol and the resultant increase in the price of petrol.

He said: “With this success, the institution has been placed in the lead of rethinking the 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 the populace.

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“This initiative ensures higher efficiency in powering automobiles, helps our environment to be less polluted and has attracted partnerships with the Kwara State Government and private institutions.”

The KWASU VC stated that three vehicles – Sedan, Hilux, and 22-seater Coaster bus – were converted to use electricity, adding that investors had started to show interest in the product.

He called on the state government and individuals with scrap vehicles to bring them for conversion at moderate charges.

Shaykh-Luqman added that the university had commissioned a plastic recycling plant of the Centre for Entrepreneurship.

”With the initiative, tons of plastic wastes that would have polluted our environment, are currently being converted to pavement stones,” he said.

He said 16,315 graduates were produced by the institution in its 10th and 11th combined convocation ceremony for 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic sessions.

The Vice-Chancellor said 183 graduates bagged First Class, 5,145 were in Second Class Upper Division, 8,420 got Second Class Lower Division, and 1,455 in Third Class Division in both sets.

Shaykh-Luqman disclosed that 11,096 graduates were in first degrees and 767 in higher degrees for the 2021/2022 academic session as well as 4,107 in first degrees and 345 in higher degrees for the 2022/2023 academic session.

The Star