March 10, 2024

To safeguard the environment, ensuring that it is free from pollution, the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) shall be using microorganisms to clean oil terminals(tank farms),instead of conventional chemicals.

Prof Abdullahi Mustapha, Director General the NABDA, told the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in an interview, that conventional chemicals used for cleaning tank farms do not give 100 per cent cleaning.

He said the case with use of chemicals was that after cleaning, the crude would no longer be of use and woud need to be discharged.

“This can lead to environmental pollution to either water, soil, the air and plants may be affected. All these are what we are trying to avoid.

“What is obtained with use of micro organisms to clean tank farms is that the micro organisms would only revive the crude oil back it’s natural form, meaning that there would be no wastage.

“With use of micro organisms, the crude would be recovered a 100 per cent and would still be useful.

” Tank farm cleaning is very important because Nigeria relies heavily on petroleum for income, “Mustapha said.

He explained that if the sediments of crude left in the terminals were not cleaned, it would accumulate and may fill up the tank capacity.

Also, if cleaning is not carried out, it would be impossible to get the normal volume or capacity of crude oil in the tank, either for storage or for transportation.

The director general disclosed that tank farm cleaning was one of the agency’s top project which had reached an advanced stage.

He said NABDA would carry out the cleaning in designated tank farms in collaboration with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and NNPC Energy Services(Enserve).

He said both were the ones NABDA was talking with on the issue, adding that the NUPRC was responsible for the tank farms, that NABDA visited Kaduna depots to see what could be done there.

“We have collected samples from the tank and analysis is being carried out in order to get the ratio of what we are using for the cleaning.

” At the moment we are waiting for the laboratory results for that mixture of micro organisms to be used for the solution of the cleaning, ” the NABDA Boss said.

Giving further update on recently commercialised genetically modified maize, Tela maize, Mustapha assured it’s production wouid yield up to 10.2 tons per hectare, compared to the local variety which gives only two tons.

” Look at the disparity, the production is what really matters as people are yearning for food in the country. This is coming at the right time and we are waiting for collaborative efforts.

“The minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji has taken this seriously as it’s in line with the Federal Government agenda.

*Now, we’re poised to deploy this maize variety so that Nigerians can get more of it and if we are able to take advantage of the value chain of maize through farming, it would bring hope to our people, ” he said.

Mustapha expressed optimism that the hope was realistic because 10.2 tons per hectare against 2.2 to 2 5 of the local variety, was a huge difference.

He said the variety could be cultivated either in the savannah, rainforest or anywhere across all crannies in the country. (NAN)