Twelve final-year Engineering students of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, have designed, constructed, and donated a 5 KVA Solar Photovoltaic Power System to the university’s College of Engineering in a landmark display of ingenuity, innovation, and sustainable development.
The team, which conceptualised and executed the project under the supervision of Engr. Prof. B.A. Adaramola donated the system to the institution to ensure back-up power for essential operations in the College of Engineering, built on 2.5 hectares of land and commissioned by former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on Saturday, October 19, 2013.
The students behind the successful project are Wodi Joseph Chiburoma, Ekechukwu Ikechukwu Anthony, and Ndubuisi Chidera Henry from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Uviejitobor Afure Daniel from the Computer Engineering Department, Igbalaye Abdulqudus, and Suobere Solomon from the Mechanical Engineering Department.
Others are Stephen George Elakemefa, Princewill Jeremiah, and Peter Umezinwa Izuchukwu from the Mechatronics Engineering Department, Oriola Demilade Mobolaji and Nkumah Amarachi Ezinne from Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering, as well as Oramah Chidubem Pascal from the Biomedical Engineering Department .
The students who embarked on the altruistic gesture to supplement the power supply by the university’s Independent Power Plant, IPP used locally sourced materials and their technical ingenuity.
The 5KVA Solar System provides reliable backup power to the A and E Wings of the College, housing the Departments of Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering and Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering.
The second phase (7.5 kVA) of the Nodal Power Solution, which will power the C, D, and F Wings of the College of Engineering, i.e., Civil, Chemical & Petroleum, Electrical/Electronics, and Computer Engineering departments, is underway.
Speaking, the Provost, College of Engineering, Prof. Moses Olufemi Onibonoje, said the students’ efforts and innovation highlight the vibrancy of Research Clusters in the College, which include Energy Systems, Food Security, Smart Systems, Waste Management, and Smart Materials.
He said, “This 5 kVA Solar Photo-Voltaic System formed part of the final project for a group of graduating students. It is capable of efficiently powering the A and E Wings of the College of Engineering.
“These clusters form the backbone of our Engineering research strategy by nurturing student-led solutions that respond to Nigeria’s most pressing developmental needs. As we train the next generation of Engineers, we remain committed to actualizing the dream of the Founder & Chancellor of the university of building a citadel of innovation modeled after global best practices and standards like other globally recognized universities”
Reacting to the innovative idea, the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, commended the students and their teachers for what she acknowledged as their “milestone achievement, cheering news for the university and a source of immense pride for the institution’s Founder, Aare Afe Babalola.
“Developments of this nature bring joy and happiness to our Founder. I will take this good news to him, and I can imagine the smile on his face when he sees what our talented students have achieved during an intense training of amazing teamwork: the 3 T’s.
“The place of Engineering in any society or setting is key. Indeed, engineering plays a vital role in societal advancement, making it everything. Engineering is everything ranging from the various degrees of comfort that technology brings the way of man through the house he lives in, the various means of transportation, electricity, water, the elevator, the airplane among several others. Any attempt to separate hands-on Engineering training from theory will amount to a step toward underdevelopment and human suffering.
“This feat by our Engineering students aligns with the Founder’s vision of establishing a citadel of learning and innovation that compares to what Stanford University, USA, is doing”.
The elated Founder, Aare Afe Babalola commended the efforts of the College of Engineering and prayed for the students and their teachers in the following words: “You shall excel in all your endeavours. You shall have greater luck than I have.”
This was followed by a thunderous “Amen”.
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