PTDF seeks support of stakeholders to fund research for development of energy industry

By Onu Okorie 

The Executive Secretary Petroleum Technology Development Fund PTDF Ahmed Galadima Aminu has appealed to relevant stakeholders and organizations to provide appropriate support to Nigerian Researchers to enable them to generate viable outcomes that can be showcased to the industry to enhance the sustainable growth and development of the Nigerian energy industry.

He made the appeal during the combined peer review programme for the Annual Oil and Gas Research Grant Competition and the Endowment programmes of the Fund in Abuja on 25th February 2026.

“This would empower and encourage them to contribute more towards solving specific industry problems and thus promote spin-off industries for rapid job creation and knowledge transfer in–country.” He stated.

He further explained that the event was the final stage in the review process of the research selected from the highly competitive Research Grant Competition and Endowment programmes in various institutions covering the following thematic areas: development of an Integrated Pipeline Monitoring, Defect Detection and Remediation System Using Li-Fi UAV and DSP Approaches. Development and Optimization of Carbon Nanotube-Enhanced Perovskite Mesoscopic Solar Cells and Plasmonics-Enhanced Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, renewable Energy: Development of Sustainable Technology for Bioenergy from Non-Edible Oil Seeds. Petroleum Chemistry: Sustainable fuels and chemicals, with emphasis on pyrolysis and catalytic hydrogenation processes for valorising biomass, plastic waste and bitumen and Geology and Mineral Science: A study of the Cretaceous geology and source rocks of the Middle Benue Trough, with implications for resource development in North-Central Nigeria.

According to him, “in today’s review exercise, two awardees that have successfully completed their research under the Oil and Gas research grant programme and three streams of research from the Endowment programme will be reviewed. All the five research have great potentials for the acquisition of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and commercialization.”

The PTDF is an agency of the Federal Government established by Act 25 of 1973 as amended in PTDF Act of 1990. PTDF is saddled with the responsibility of developing capabilities and competencies of Nigerians in the oil and gas industry. In realization of this mandate, the Fund has over the years planned and executed various laudable programs and projects for the development of indigenous manpower and technology in the oil and gas industry. 

The Annual Oil and Gas Research Grant Competition and Endowment programmes are two main streams of research and innovation activity aimed at fulfilling the mandate of the Fund to develop indigenous oil and gas technologies in Nigeria through effective engagement of local researchers in solving petroleum industry problems.

 Useful research results with registered intellectual property rights and patents are key performance indicators of these programmes. Research outcomes and results are crystallized into various publications as reference materials and repository source of knowledge to the industry, academia and the public.

To qualify for the Fund’s research, the lead researcher must be a Nigerian and the research must be domiciled in Nigeria. For the oil and gas research grant competition programme, interested applicants are required to submit research proposals based on various developed research themes, upon advertisement by the Fund. 

These proposals are then subjected to screening and selection processes by the Fund’s oil and gas research grant steering committee subject to approval by the Fund. Similarly, the Chair Professor selected to lead cutting edge research under the Endowment programme must also apply and be screened and selected by the University recruitment panel/ Endowment Management Committees in the resident University. 

All these rigorous processes were designed to enhance the quality of research products and the propensity for generating emerging technologies for the energy industry as will be seen in this review exercise. 

According to Mr Aminu “permit me to say with every sense of pride that this year’s peer review exercise is a celebration of excellence and success stories. The five research to be reviewed are all outstanding in their own rights. The various research teams have really done well and I would like to seize this opportunity to commend their tireless efforts and exceptional display of high sense of duty and professionalism in the midst of various challenges experienced in the course of the projects.”