Lagos, March 5, 2026 (NAN) The PlastoGas Hub, a waste-to-energy facility at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) has continued to generate measurable academic impact on students’ research, innovation, and hands-on technical training.
Dr. Lauretta Ofodile, team leader of the hub, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, following an update on the inauguration of the facility in January.
Ofodile explained that the PlastoGas hub was conceived as an integrated solution, one that brings together smart plastic collection, recycling, gasification, training, and community engagements.
She said a follow-up assessment showed increased research interest, interdisciplinary collaboration and practical engagements among students within and outside the institution since operation commenced.
According to her, the hub has received three formal research collaboration requests, demonstrating growing external academic recognition and institutional confidence in the project.
“The requests affirm that PlastoGas is emerging as a credible research platform and living laboratory for waste-to-energy experimentation and sustainable engineering solutions,” she said.
The team leader disclosed that a Master’s student in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Lagos indicated interest in conducting research at the facility.
She added that three YABATECH students had also expressed interest in undertaking research at the gasifier plant, reflecting expanding relevance across disciplines.
“The hub provides real-time experimental data including temperature profiles, gas yield outputs and emission monitoring parameters for academic analysis,” she said.
She noted that access to prototype equipment such as the gasifier, shredder-grinder and melting chamber supports undergraduate projects, thesis work and postgraduate dissertations.
Ofodile declared that the facility strengthens entrepreneurial thinking, exposing students to circular economy principles, commercialization pathways and scalable green technology models for enterprise development. (NAN)
