Saheed Ibrahim

An Environmental Microbiologist, Dr. Titilayo Mabel Olotu, has established that Nigeria can generate electricity from microbial fuel cells (MFCs), a renewable energy source that offers a cleaner and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.

This is coming at a time when Nigeria currently suffers epileptic power supply, with available power generation dangling between 3,000MW and 4,500MW.

Experts have noted that the country needs about 30,00MW to have a stable electricity supply.

According to Dr. Olotu, Nigeria’s growing energy demands can be met through this innovative technology, which harnesses the power of microorganisms to break down organic matter and produce electricity.

Referencing her latest research, Olotu explained that MFCs are devices that convert chemical energy into electrical energy through the oxidation of carbon sources or organic wastes carried out by electrochemically active bacteria.

According to her, the research has shown that various bacterial strains, including Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enteric, Escherichia coli, Bacillus pumilus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Micrococcus luteus, can be used to generate electric current with and without a mediator.

The experiment, which used a sealed container comprising cathode and anode chambers connected by an agar salt bridge, showed promising results, with current and voltage readings increasing in the first seven days and decreasing thereafter.

Dr. Olotu believes that this technology has the potential to revolutionize Nigeria’s energy sector, providing a sustainable solution to the country’s energy challenges.

In her findings, the Environmental Biologist stated, “Bacterial isolates, in pure and cocultured strains, were introduced into sealed 200lms containers comprising the cathode and anode chambers, connected to a Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe, which formed the agar salt bridge.

“Both chambers were connected by an agar salt bridge, and wire from both the anode and cathode chambers was connected to a multimeter. Current, voltage, and resistance readings were obtained daily using a digital multimeter of model DT9205A.

“Current and voltage readings generated generally increase at the first seven days of the experiment and decrease as the experiment days increase, while resistance readings were high throughout the experiment.

“The higher current and voltage generation observed at the early stage of the experiment might be a result that the bacteria had enough nutrients from the culture broth to metabolize to generate proton and electrons in the earlier days of the experiment, which at the later weeks, the nutrient-depleted and causes its reduction in its current and voltage production.

“Through organic matter or electrogenic microorganisms, microbial fuel cells are promising fuel cell technologies and a worldwide solution to the energy demand crisis,” she concluded.