The Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa, Rector, Engr. Olufunke Akinkurolere, has advised the Nigerian government to reduce the country’s over dependence on finite and non-renewable resources as the country’s crude oil will soon dry up and become useless.
The Don, who expressed concerns that even if the oil does not dry up, it would soon become “very useless” as many developed nations are finding alternative sources of energy, maintained that crude oil exploration is like mining in which whatever is being mined would be exhausted one day.
“In the olden days, you could just go to the bush and cut down trees. We were not even mindful of the need to plant new ones. But now, it dawned on us that if we don’t want to get to a stage where there will no longer be trees in the forest, we have to look for a way out. That’s why this issue of sustainability started coming in,” she said.
Engr. Akinkurolere made this assertion while speaking on ‘Harnessing Technical, Entrepreneurial, And Vocational Education for Sustainable Economic Development’ at the first International Conference organised by the polytechnic during the week.
According to her, the world has entered an era in which every one’s concerns are contributions to the well-being of others, for now and in the future.
“Whatever you are doing today, you have to take cognizance of tomorrow. The green economy, green environment being talked about is anchored on sustainability.”
She noted that the idea of sustainable development was conceived in the early 1970s when the need was felt to preserve our natural resources as they were depleting at a much faster rate.
“Today in our country, we have to start looking away from petroleum because after a while, the petrol will finish. It’s like you’re mining something; it’s not something that is everlasting. Even if the oil does not finish, a lot of countries are already developing alternative sources of energy. We now use solar without any need for power generators. That will save the environment because of no pollution from diesel.
“In the developed countries, we now have electric vehicles that don’t use any fuel at all; you just need to plug it like you are charging your phone. If that is perfected in our nations, then there will be no need for fuel. It means that our oil will become very useless. That’s why we are told that there is the need for us to go back to the farm,” she added.
The academia was of the view that “farming is the only thing I know can actually sustain us. Farming can never go into extinction, it will always be there. We cannot depend on oil. We need to look for alternative sources of energy.”
According to her, “we must not fail to achieve vision 2030. If we sit down without doing anything, the 2030 will be at our door in the twinkling of an eye.”
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