Dr. Christopher Ndi receives Cameroon’s best scientist award for biogas research

A Cameroonian veterinary virologist, Dr. Christopher Ndi, has been honoured with Cameroon’s most esteemed scientist award for his pioneering research in various fields of agriculture, notably in the production of biogas using animal dung.

Madeleine Tchuinte, the Minister of Scientific Research and Innovation, presented him with the honour at a recent ceremony in Yaounde.

Dr. Ndi, who has dedicated over three decades to scientific inquiry in agriculture, expressed gratitude for the recognition.

He emphasised that the award was the result of years of dedication and commitment to advancing scientific knowledge.

“The award I’ve received today, for me, is part of the Ministry’s appreciation of work that cannot be summarised in one day or a few sentences,” he told journalists.

“This is work that has spanned over three decades. So today’s recognition is just a summary and appreciation of the work I’ve been doing. And it’s very difficult to tell people that I’m being rewarded today because of this or that piece of research. It’s a sum total of all that I’ve been doing.”

He received a certificate of appreciation from Minister Tchuinte and a standing ovation from the dozens of researchers who attended the event.

RESEARCH ON BIOGAS

At the award reception ceremony attended by hundreds of scientists from across the nation, Dr. Ndi presented his latest research endeavor focused on harnessing animal dung as a renewable energy source.

His innovative approach aims to convert methane emissions from animal waste into biogas, thereby mitigating climate change and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

Explaining the rationale behind his research, Dr. Ndi highlighted the dual benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and utilizing biogas as a clean cooking fuel.

“I’ve been doing research on animal production and fisheries. In fact my interest today is that I’m looking into how we can create resilience, livestock farmers resilience against climate change, which is a very big problem,” he said.

“And that is why, in one of the consultations which I’ve read in the hall, you realise that we’re trying to produce biogas from livestock waste in order to mitigate climate change.”

According to the World Health Organisation, animal dung emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to environmental degradation and poses health risks.

By transforming this waste into biogas, Dr. Christopher Ndi will not only mitigate climate change but also provide a renewable energy source for domestic use.

In addition to this groundbreaking work in biogas production, Dr. Ndi outlined other research initiatives aimed at addressing pressing agricultural challenges in Cameroon.

These include strategies to promote harmony between crop and livestock farmers and innovative approaches to enhance soil fertility and crop yield through integrated farming systems.

“Secondly, we’re trying to look at one of the most prevalent problems between farmers and grazers, for example, we have about three or four of our national regions – Adamawa, North, Far North, North West, and West – where the farmer-grazer conflicts are very, very violent. So we’re trying to look at how we can collaborate, encourage crop farmers to live in peace with livestock farmers. So that is where crop-livestock integration comes in. There have been some models which have been tried and presently in the North West we’ve introduced what we call the life paddock manuring system, where cattle graze on crop farmers’ plots after the crops have been harvested for about two to three months. When the cattle leaves, the area in which they were grazed is fenced. In such a manner, the crop farmers benefit from the manure of the animals and when they produce their crops, the livestock farmers purchase the crops. In this case, we’ll hardly find crop farmers looking at livestock farmers as enemies,” he explained.

Dr. Christopher Ndi holds a Ph.D. in Veterinary Virology from the Ukraine Academy of Agriculture in Kiev, conferred in 1985.

Throughout his illustrious career, he has authored numerous publications and participated in international research collaborations spanning Africa, Europe, Asia, and beyond.

Dr Ndi’s pioneering contributions to the field of agricultural science have earned him acclaim and recognition as the 2024 Imminent Researcher of the 11th edition of the Scientific Convocation in Cameroon.

©Mimi Mefo Info