As pollution and climate change continue to threaten clean water worldwide, Nigerian geoscientist Oyindamola Oseni is conducting research that could lay the groundwork for safer, low-cost ways to restore contaminated soil and groundwater.
A doctoral researcher at the University of Georgia, Oseni is developing an approach that uses microbial and plant-root systems, enhanced by biochar, a carbon-rich material made from biomass, to break down hazardous pollutants. Her work targets persistent groundwater contaminants like perchlorate and nitrate, which are commonly linked to industrial, military, and agricultural waste.
“We know the environment is getting contaminated,” Oseni says. “The critical question is how we respond with science that protects people and ecosystems, especially in places with limited resources.”
Groundwater pollution is a growing global threat. In both high- and low-income countries, chemicals like nitrate and perchlorate can persist for years in soils and aquifers, threatening food security, drinking water, and public health. Traditional cleanup methods can be expensive and difficult to scale, especially in low-income communities with limited infrastructure.
Oseni’s research is part of an ongoing effort to design a low-cost, sustainable system that enhances the natural ability of microbes and plants to degrade pollutants. By adding biochar, which improves soil chemistry and microbial activity, she hopes to boost the system’s efficiency.
Her work reflects a growing global shift toward nature-based remediation: using natural processes to clean up pollution instead of relying on energy-intensive or chemical-heavy methods. Oseni’s focus on affordability and simplicity makes the research especially promising for use in underserved communities in the U.S., Africa, and elsewhere.
Her project supports EPA goals around sustainable groundwater cleanup and environmental justice in the United States. Globally, it advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to clean water, climate action, and equitable innovation.
“We need to make environmental science useful for real people in real places,” she says. “That starts with asking what’s possible when science meets community needs.”
Oseni’s expertise lies at the intersection of environmental geochemistry, microbiology, and environmental engineering. After earning a master’s degree with distinction from the Pan African University Life and Earth Sciences Institute (PAULESI), supported by a competitive African Union scholarship, she joined the University of Georgia, where she received internal research funding and was named Outstanding Teaching Assistant by the Department of Geology and the university’s Center for Teaching and Learning.
She has shared her research at key scientific forums, including the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the Georgia Water Resources Conference, and the Clemson Hydrogeology Symposium, where her work has drawn interest for its interdisciplinary scope and real-world application.
As climate change increases pressure on water resources, Oseni sees science as a tool for understanding and protecting Earth’s systems.
Her path from Nigeria to a leading U.S. research institution represents a growing wave of African scientists contributing to global environmental innovation. Her focus on accessibility, resilience, and justice gives her work added urgency.
Oseni continues to refine her system, testing combinations of microbes, plant species, and biochar types to determine how they interact under different environmental conditions. She also mentors early-career scientists and is working to build bridges between researchers in the U.S. and Africa to support practical solutions to shared environmental challenges.
As the world looks for smarter, more sustainable ways to manage pollution, researchers like Oyindamola Oseni show what it means to lead with science, service, and purpose.
www.accessbankplc.com PRESS RELEASE“Buy Africa, it’s not inferior”: Ogbonna, Mene, Zubairu Chart Path for Developing Continental Trade at Africa CEO ForumAbidjan, Côte d’Ivoire – May 14, 2025: At the Africa CEO Forum, leaders from across the continent gathered to discuss the critical role of private sector-led growth in the development of African trade and market integration under the topic “Fast-tracking African Integration: The Private Sector Imperative”. The session, which was one of the highlights of the 2-day event in Abidjan, saw Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, join Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the AfCFTA, and Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), in a powerful conversation focused on the opportunities and challenges for Africa in the face of shifting global trade dynamics.The panellists were united in their belief that Africa’s transformation hinges on the development of regional value chains, the scaling of intra-African trade, and the need to build both financial and infrastructural capacities that will enable economic integration. In his remarks, Ogbonna underscored the potential for the continent to reframe its narrative and urged African nations to embrace their strengths.He stated, “Years ago, if you told someone something was made in China or Taiwan, it was often seen as inferior. Fast forward 30, 40 years, and now ‘Made in China’ is a symbol of quality, and ‘Made in Taiwan’ commands respect globally. The difference? These countries built a strong domestic market that allowed them to scale, build proficiency, and innovate. Africa is no different. We have everything we need, from abundant raw materials and vast natural resources, to a youthful population and fertile land. There is no reason why Africa has not yet transformed itself into the powerhouse we know it can be. Africa has what it takes to win, and my charge remains the same as I gave during our inaugural Africa Trade Conference in South Africa: Buy Africa, it’s not inferior!”Mene and Zubairu echoed Ogbonna’s sentiments, with Mene highlighting the tangible steps taken to drive integration, such as the introduction of the e-Tariff Book and the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund. Zubairu emphasized the critical need for synergy between public and private investment to address Africa’s infrastructure gaps and finance its development priorities.The discussion also focused on the barriers preventing the scaling of intra-African trade, notably the lack of adequate logistics and transport infrastructure. The Pan-African Payments and Settlement System (PAPSS) was highlighted as a potential game-
www.accessbankplc.com changer in unlocking new cross-border trade opportunities by facilitating smoother payments and transactions.Ogbonna reinforced the importance of private sector involvement in regional trade, particularly for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). “Africa’s MSMEs are the backbone of its economy,” he said, “yet they face a trade finance gap of around $120 billion. Financial institutions must innovate to close this gap and provide the liquidity these businesses need to grow and scale.”As Africa continues to explore new avenues for trade and investment, Ogbonna’s message resonated with the audience: the time is now for Africans to believe in Africa, invest in Africa, and transform the continent into the economic powerhouse it is destined to be.
JAMB Registrar Is-haq Oloyed Wept As He Confirmed Technical Errors Distrupted UTME
…takes responsibility
JAMB Registrar Is-haq Oloyed on Wednesday wept as he confirmed The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) , Is-haq Oloyed on Wednesday wept as he confirmed that technical errors disrupted the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results for candidates across 157 centres in Lagos and Owerri zones.
He revealed that “within 24 hours of rigorous work, we were able to isolate where the problem emanated from.”
According to him, 65 centres (206,610 candidates) were affected in the Lagos zone and 92 centres (173,387 candidates) were affected in the Owerri zone.
“In simple terms, while 65 centers (206,610 candidates) were affected in Lagos zone (comprising only Lagos state), 92 centers (173,387 candidates) were affected in Owerri zone, which includes the South East states.”
Oloyede explained that the issue was identified “on the second day of the examinations this year, which was Friday, April 25, 2025. We discovered that there was some omission in the items within the LAG category.”
He said in these centres, the patch was not properly applied in some centre servers by the service provider, and that failure disrupted the upload of the candidates’ responses within the first three or four days, as applicable to the Lagos and Owerri zones.
“In clear terms, in the process of rectifying the issue, the technical personnel deployed by the Service Provider for LAG (Lagos and South-East zones) inadvertently failed to update some of the delivery servers. Regrettably, this oversight went undetected prior to the release of the results.”
Oloyede then announced that candidates affected by the technical glitch in 157 centres will be required to retake their 2025 UTME starting from Friday, May 16, 2025.
According to him, the board has “decided that all the candidates affected in the 157 centres out of 882 centres will be contacted to retake their examinations starting from Friday, May 16, 2025.”
Oloyede noted that these candidates are to be contacted through text messages addressed to their registered phone numbers, their email addresses, their profiles and phone calls by JAMB.
“They are directed to reprint their Examination Slips for the rescheduled examination dates,” Oloyede added.
He also disclosed that JAMB has coordinated with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), which is currently conducting its Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE).
“While not oblivious of the fact that WAEC examinations are ongoing, we have contacted WAEC and in an unprecedented show of solidarity, the Council has graciously decided to as much as possible accommodate us within the WAEC time-slot.”
Oloyede also noted that “Any candidate with a clash of timetable, particularly for Agricultural Science on Friday, would be rescheduled. However, we have endeavored to ensure that no such exist.
“Most, if not all, such candidates are scheduled for Saturday. Fortunately, the prescribed texts for SSCE are also the prescribed texts for UTME, apart from the reading text of the UTME, which carries just 10 marks in our Use of English test.”
FG: Nigeria Attracted over $8bn in Deepwater Oil, Gas FIDs in Less Than One Year
- Verheijen laments projected fall in Africa’s upstream capital from $340bn to $130bn
- Says indigenous firms’ equity in Nigeria’s gas assets now 83%
- Local oil service providers jostle for contracts in shell’s $5bn Bonga project
The Federal Government efforts at returning the oil and gas sector its past glory in the area of investment may have started yielding fruits as it claimed that it has attracted td over $8 billion in deepwater oil and gas Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) in less than one year.
This a significant testimony underscoring recent presidential actions to remove the existing bottlenecks in the sector.
Olu Verheijen, Special Adviser on Energy to President Bola Tinubu, who disclosed this at the just recently concluded 2025 Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, explained that Nigeria has recently focused on improved fiscal terms, streamlined contracting timelines and greater clarity to local content rules.
According to a statement signed by Senan Murray, the Team Lead, Communications, Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, it stated that as a result of these reforms, including the restructuring which is enabling gas-to-power commercial viability, “We moved from gridlock to greenlight, and investors responded.”
Delivering her message to policymakers, investors, and industry leaders across the continent, Verheijen insisted that “Capital is not African or foreign”, explaining that “It is rational; and Africa must compete for it.”
Multi-billion-dollar deepwater and LNG projects are global capital territory, Verheijen said, and Africa must partner smartly, not from dependency, but from aligned strategic interest.
Citing the fact that Africa attracted $340 billion in upstream capital between 2011 and 2015, a figure expected to drop to less than $130 billion by 2026–2030, she described it as “not a funding winter”, but “a structural decimation.”
The Special Adviser to the president, she said, capital is increasingly going to projects with strong economics, low carbon intensity, and predictable governance—the factors attracting billions of dollars in new investment to the Permian Basin, Guyana, and Brazil.
She argued that if Africa wants a larger slice of the $500 billion in global upstream spend annually, it must offer the same clarity and competitiveness.
Verheijen noted that Nigeria has been able to prove that this approach works. “In under a year, Nigeria unlocked over $8 billion in deepwater oil and gas Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) through decisive presidential action, focused on improved fiscal terms, streamlined contracting timelines, greater clarity to local content rules, and power sector reforms enabling gas-to-power commercial viability,” she was quoted as saying.
Verheijen urged African investors, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), banks, pension funds, and sovereigns—to be strategic in focus, and to strive to fill the vacuum left by International Oil Companies (IOCs), not just with funding, but with fit-for-purpose instruments and risk-sharing structures.
“Our sweet spot is onshore, shelf, and domestic gas. That’s where African players must dominate, because we understand the terrain, the risk, and the reward,” the presidential aide maintained.
She also celebrated the feats of African private sector champions, like Seplat, Oando and Renaissance, who she argued are no longer just “local players.”
Renaissance Africa Energy Consortium’s acquisition of Shell’s onshore JV, she said, represents “a symbolic transition from colonial-era concessions to indigenous control.”
On the new 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery, the largest single-train refinery in the world, she said it was: “Built by African capital, African hands, and African ambition,” noting that “this is not just infrastructure, it is proof that African industrial scale is not aspirational. It is operational.”
Seplat’s recent 390 mmcfd gas supply deal with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), she said, I’d “not just output”, but “energy security”.
“Nigeria’s attainment of an increase in indigenous equity in gas, from 69 per cent to 83 per cent, is not just a statistic but instead a seismic shift in ownership and control of Africa’s energy future,” the special adviser explained.
“But global capital still matters. International Oil Companies, which still account for over 50 per cent of production and capital expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa, are now showing signs of an evolving approach.
“They’re no longer chasing barrels. They’re chasing value: low-cost, low-carbon, (and) de-risked assets. Let’s be realistic: Africa cannot negotiate terms on capital that hasn’t yet arrived. Investment must come first; returns and benefits will follow,” she pointed out.
Verheijen posited that Africa must move beyond sentiments, consciously pursue clarity in policy and be strategic in its intentions, insisting that nobody will give Africa the future, but that it must be built deliberately.
“We must move beyond appeals for support. Africa must become an investment destination by design; anchored in policy clarity, commercial logic, and strategic intent. When we get that right, capital won’t hesitate, it will pursue us. The future will not be given to Africa. It must be built—deliberately, unapologetically, and on our terms,” she stated.
Meanwhile, Nigerian oil and gas service providers have started jostling for a share of contracts in three big projects currently ongoing in the nation’s upstream petroleum sector, including Shell’s $5 billion Bonga North and $122 million Iseni Gas Projects, as well as TotalEnergies’ $550 million Ubeta Gas Project.
Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), an umbrella body of the local service firms, Mr. Wole Ogunsanya, disclosed this to reporters during the PETAN Golf session at the just-concluded Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) held in Houston, Texas, USA.
This was just as Ogunsanya, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Geoplex, revealed that Nigeria’s participation at the yearly OTC conference has attracted over $8 billion investments to the country’s oil and gas sector.
THISDAY recalls that three landmark FIDs in the Nigerian upstream oil and gas industry were announced in 2024 starting with the Iseni project in February, followed by Ubeta in September and Bonga North in December.
Already, Shell has awarded a $1 billion contract from the Bonga North project to Italian company, Saipem, in a consortium with two Nigerian contractors – KOA Oil & Gas and AVEON Offshore.
Responding to THISDAY’s question bordering on the opportunities the projects present to the industry and how the local service firms were taking advantage of those opportunities, Ogunsanya admitted the three projects were significant to the country’s oil and gas industry and PETAN members because of the huge opportunities they presented.
He said the companies have already keyed into the Nigerian Petroleum Exchange (NIPEX) portal and anticipating contracts that match the capacities built by his member companies in terms of equipment and products as promoters of local content in the industry.
NIPEX is an electronic contracting platform and a one-stop transaction center for the Nigerian oil and gas industry domiciled at the NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS).
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“For PETAN members, we call ourselves think-tank organisations, due diligence organisations and companies. We’ve already logged into the tendering process of all this work”, he said.
Further according to Ogunsanya: “When you take FID, the process of tendering – who does what, is already there on NIPEX and the bidding system that we have in the country. And we’ve worked with NNPC, NUIMS.
“We’ve managed to establish a high level of decorum. Sometimes we align with NIPEX to make sure the codes for you to be able to bid and all that are all sorted out. So, our members are already keyed into the tendering system, and it makes sense.
“We don’t want anything handed over to us on a platter of gold. We want to show that we have the capacity to do it. We want to be fair to every other company in the industry”.
Noting that his member companies were also competing with other firms providing services in the industry despite priding themselves as drivers of local content, he said his members still needed to observe due diligence in the tendering process.
According to him, PETAN companies enjoy the advantage of having more investments, more equipment and more trained personnel in the industry compared to others.
“So, we’re commanding our own share of the market. So, we are keyed into the tendering system, and we’re going to be part of those projects. Some of those contracts are already awarded, and there is a number of PETAN companies that are already in the play for the contracts that will emanate from this FID. We’re doing something higher than that”, the PETAN chairman explained.
As part of proactiveness, Ogunsanya said his association has created a committee called Business Strategy Committee (BSC).
He explained the committee is saddled with the responsibility of looking for his members’ interest in the contracts emanating from the projects, particularly the $5 billion Bonga North project being promoted by the Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) and what comes to his member companies.
He said his members deserved a sizeable amount of the jobs from the projects owing to their capacity in local content.
According to him, PETAN firms were over 60 per cent in terms of local content when all indigenous companies were aggregated, arguing – “And you’re doing a $5 billion project. If you do the math, we should be commanding a lot of those projects.”
On that note, he said his member companies should be prioritised by allocating at least 25 to 30 per cent of that $5 billion project to them to reflect the capacity they have built over the years.
Ogunsanya further explained: “So this committee is responsible to look at each of the FIDs, the projects that are coming up to make sure that the award is commensurate with the capacity that we have built.
“I can give you an example. If you invested to build capacity but you’re not getting your quota, it’s not fair. You’ve invested in the system to make sure that the capacity is there in the system. The award system does not match your investment – your capacity, versus the work that is there.
“So, with that PETAN BSC committee, that’s their job. And we are telling them, don’t ask for 100 per cent of the PETAN contribution. Ask for something lower. So that it will be very clear that we’re asking less than what we deserve, and the way we’re asking, we said, no, we’re not going to change the system.
“There is a tendering system. There is NIPEX. Everything is there. They will check your technical capacity. You submit commercial. And then you grade everybody. We will participate in that. We’re encouraging our members to go and tender for everything.
“But at the time you’re aggregating the work, at the IOC level, for instance, SNEPCo, at NCDMB, tell me how many PETAN members have won in that $5 billion project. Add all the numbers together. How much is it? Is it $500 million? Is it $800 million? Is it $1.5 billion? If it’s not up to the target we set, give us the right of first refusal.”
He added: “Maybe we didn’t come first. Maybe we came second, third, fourth. So, give us the right of first refusal. We’ll go and ask our members and say, this job, you said $10 million. They said if you accept $9 million, they will give it to you.
“So that gives us the opportunity to say yes or no. And we are doing that deliberately to make sure that we are not claiming right or anything. We want it to be done due diligently.”
Meanwhile, Ogunsanya announced that PETAN’s consistent presence at the OTC in US has attracted investments worth over $8 billion in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
He explained that the $8 billion in investments stemmed from equipment purchases, service partnerships, and project funding facilitated through relationships built at the OTC.
He recalled that last year, PETAN supported the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) with their roadshow, and that all the oil fields the agency presented were fully subscribed.
“This is why we are here annually, to connect with the global oil and gas community and bring value back to Nigeria,” he noted.
Ogunsanya further said that PETAN recently concluded a funding agreement for member companies to acquire equipment, adding that a new collaboration was initiated with Senegal, developing its offshore gas infrastructure.
“The future of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is bright,” he said, adding: “There’s a shift underway with divestments from international oil companies to indigenous firms, and we see it as an opportunity, not a setback.”
He stressed the importance of increasing and sustaining national production, targeting 2.5 million barrels to 3 million barrels per day regardless of global oil prices.
He also highlighted current refining efforts, pointing to a projected refining capacity of 1.4 million barrels daily, including the BUA Group’s ongoing construction of a 350,000-barrels per day refinery.
Promising that PETAN cannot afford to be passive in the efforts to grow the industry, Ogunsanya said the association was working tirelessly to support its members in acquiring critical equipment and raising funds.
He acknowledged that the federal government, NNPC and Nigerian exploration and production companies were united in the mission.
“Our goal is simple: to secure sustainable oil production and revenue generation to support national development.
“The era of halting production due to price fluctuations must end – we must be resilient, consistent, and forward-thinking”, he added.
