Current Strides in Bioenergy and Biofuels Technology Development in Nigeria
Abstract
This paper examines Current Strides in the area of Bio-energy and Bio-fuels Technology Development in Nigeria. Nigeria, which occupies a total land area of more than 92 million hectares, has adequate potential for biomass production. The arable land is about 30 million hectares. Even though the agricultural policy of Nigeria is tilted towards food production, biomass agriculture can have a very significant, positive influence on the national economy. Energy crops represent, the largest potential source of bio-energy feed-stocks, whether as whole biomass, wastes or residues. Nigeria shares the concern in the global discussion on the competition between land- use for food-and-feed production and bio-fuels production. However, there is an abundance of energy crops. An example is jatropha curcas that grows on marginal land, and produces oilbearing seeds that are not suitable for human consumption. The Nigerian Government is creating awareness on the potential of jatropha oil as feed-stock for the production of biodiesel, and encouraging local farmers to plant the crop. Recognizing the fact that there is a dearth of conversion technologies for feed-stocks to biodiesel product, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), an Agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria, has endowed a Professorial Chair in Renewable Energy in the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. The Chair, which is domiciled in the Department of Chemical Engineering, is to focus its research on the “Development of a viable technology for the production of biodiesel from oils of nonedible seeds”