The outgoing occupant of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Professorial Chair in Chemical Engineering at Ahmadu B...
The outgoing occupant of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Professorial Chair in Chemical Engineering at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Baba El-Yakubu, is set to deliver a lecture tomorrow as part of his close-out seminar, marking the end of his tenure.
The event, scheduled for Thursday, 3rd July 2025, will be held at 11:00 a.m. at the ACENPEE Building, Engineering Phase III, ABU. The hybrid seminar is a statutory requirement for every exiting PTDF Chair Professor to present key findings from their research.
Prof. El-Yakubu will speak on the topic:
"Refinery Fluid Catalytic Cracking Zeolite-Based Catalyst: Its Deactivation and Passivation."
The session will be chaired by former National President of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, Prof. S.S. Adefila. The Vice-Chancellor of ABU, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, is expected to declare the event open, while the Executive Secretary of the PTDF, Ahmed Galadima Aminu, will serve as Special Guest of Honour.
For over two decades, the PTDF Professorial Chair Research Group at ABU has made significant contributions to the development of zeolite-based catalysts, a critical component in refinery fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) operations. The materials are noted for their scientific importance and strategic potential for import substitution in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Prof. El-Yakubu’s research has focused on the synthesis, deactivation, and passivation of FCC and Residue FCC (RFCC) catalysts. His findings are particularly relevant to Nigeria’s refining sector, especially with the anticipated operations of major refineries like the Dangote Refinery, which includes FCC units.
“The FCC unit remains the most vital catalytic conversion process and a primary source of refinery revenue. Understanding and improving these catalysts is key to optimizing performance,” Prof. El-Yakubu noted.
The research aims to lay the groundwork for the commercialisation of zeolite catalyst production in Nigeria—leveraging two decades of academic breakthroughs, industrial collaboration, and international partnerships.
Incoming PTDF Chair, Prof. Abdulazeez Yusuf Atta, who shared details of the seminar, emphasized the need to develop an indigenous value chain for catalyst manufacturing.
“By establishing a local value chain, Nigeria can improve refining efficiency, conserve foreign exchange, and promote environmental sustainability,” Prof. Atta stated. He is expected to deliver the closing remarks at tomorrow’s seminar.
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