The Obafemi Awolowo University marked a significant milestone with the official launch of its new state-of-the-art Waste Water Treatment Research Hub. This innovative facility, situated near the Educational Trust Fund (ETF) Hall, represents a collaborative effort between academia and industry, spearheaded by dedicated postgraduate student researchers and supported by the institution’s leadership.
Engr. Daniel Oladepo Ogunkeye, a Postgraduate student in the Department of Chemical Engineering, generously donated this pioneering project to OAU. Under the guidance of Professor Mrs E. F. Aransiola, the initiative aimed to design and construct a modular sanitary velocity wastewater sewage plant. Despite initial plans for completion within four months, unforeseen challenges extended the project timeline to a year and necessitated a total expenditure of N5.8 million due to inflation.
The commissioning had dignitaries present such as the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, alongside other members of the academic community such as the Dean of the Faculty of Technology, Professor A. O. Koya, serving simultaneously as Chairman of the Committee of Deans; the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Administration; and the Dean of the Division of Students Affairs, Professor J. Odedire, many university don and staff members.
Professor Mrs. Aransiola, the project supervisor, gave her remarks highlighting the significance of the endeavour. She explained how the newly inaugurated facility would contribute to advancing knowledge about sustainable wastewater management practices through hands-on research and training opportunities.
In honour of the late Professor B.O. Solomon, a distinguished member of the Department of Chemical Engineering who oversaw the project’s early stages alongside Professor Mrs Aransiola, a moment of silence was taken before the formal proceedings continued.
The Vice-Chancellor expressed gratitude towards the project team and highlighted the practical implications of academic learning through hands-on experiences like this hub. He praised Engr. Daniel’s dedication to giving back to his alma mater, underscored the importance of problem-solving skills among students and staff.
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Engr. Daniel provided an insightful tour of the facility, showcasing the advanced technologies and materials used in its construction. He detailed the plant’s operational processes from sewage collection to sample testing in the laboratory, highlighting key components such as Metakaolin, vitolite, chlorine, and essential plant species for germ removal.
Engr. Daniel further explained that the hub’s design includes units like an Equalization Chamber, Aeration to Sedimentation, Clarifier, and Effluent treatment stages with provisions for recycling sedimentation back to aeration during downtime periods.
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With the successful unveiling of the WasteWater Treatment Research Hub, OAU has demonstrated its commitment to addressing the global environment. As the first phase of this ambitious undertaking comes to fruition, the university looks forward to future advancements in wastewater treatment technologies and their potential applications across Nigeria and beyond.
In an interview session, Engr. Daniel Ogunkeye said ‘The project commissioned today is a designed wastewater treatment plant. It is a pilot plant. What inspired us is that some of the old buildings and hostel sewage were channelled to the oxidation plant but the new hostels make use of the pit or septic tank and we are projecting to the university a sewage treatment plant. A similar project was now done for the ETF Hall as a pilot project; all the waste from the ETF Hall will be treated temporarily by the plant’.
He furthermore stated that he was not the only one who worked on the project, rather, he was the principal member of the team, we are about ten, and there were students from other departments like the civil engineering department, the chemical engineering department and the electronics and electrical engineering.
‘Together with lecturers from all these departments, we collaborated and executed this project but I shouldered the finance’, he added. He furthermore stated that the plant is for the proper management of waste on campus.
Speaking on the challenges faced, he said ‘One of the challenges faced was the problem of inflation, he stated that 5.8 million naira was spent instead of the budget of 3 million naira.’
He stated that the commissioned place is now a research hub and works are still ongoing, it is a hub and work will be done continually. He furthermore stated that as regards the substantiality of the project, he will be around for the next three years.
‘This is the work I do in Lagos, I am an engineer and I have a company. We import all these from abroad but we are trying to have locally made materials’, he said.
He furthermore stated that all the materials used too were produced by the students of the university.
Finally, he urged Alumni members that had left the school a few years or many years ago to come back and give back to school. To the Students, he encouraged them to give back to the school after graduation.