Bio-energy/bio-fuel is renewable source of energy produced from agricultural and forest products or the biodegradable portion of industrial or municipal waste. It is not new source of energy, even though its production has been limited to domestic us. Only recently it has succeeded in sowing hope for a large scale development particularly to help reduce dependence on fossil fuels which is under threat of exhaustion, increase access to energy for the poor and improved incomes in local communities.
Nigeria has good environment for bio-energy production especially in the areas of vast arable land space (estimated at over 30 million hectares (World Fact Book); favourable climate; and cheap labour. Nigeria has a huge potential to embark on large scale bio-energy production with an estimated 2 million hectares found suitable for bio-energy development. The land is ideally suited for sugar cane, cassava, sweet sorghum, oil palm, jathropha and other energy crops production.
However, there are several concerns of bio-energy development in Nigeria: it can lead to both positive and negative environmental and socio-economic impacts and these impacts can affect the four dimensions of food security-availability, access, utilization and stability. There is a need for more enlightenment and possible solutions that the dynamics around bio-energy development should aim at maintaining a balance between food and energy security, as well as ecosystem conservation.
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1. The Food and Agricultural Organization’s (FAO’s) Bio-energy and Food Security (BEFS) Approach should help Nigeria to identify the links between bio-energy and food security, as well as assesses and manage risks and opportunities. The BEFS Approach will also provide the platform for the design and implementation of sustainable bio-energy policy choices and strategies for Nigeria by ensuring that bio-energy development contributes to agricultural and rural development in a climate smart way and foster both food and energy security;
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2. The Federal Ministry of Environment should serve as the Focal Ministry by coordinating bio-energy policy choices and strategies in Nigeria;
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3. That Nigeria( public, private and civil society) should work closely with the Global Bio-energy Partnership (GBEP) whose Secretariat is hosted by the Food and Agricultural Organization(FAO) for the realization of Sustainable Bio-energy development in Nigeria;
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4. And this working relationship will be in line with the GBEP’s objectives in the box below:
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5. That Bio-energy development in Nigeria must be in line with international best practices. In effect 24 Sustainability Indicators must be taken into account. See Box 2 below
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6. That the role of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation since 2007 at coordinating and developing Nigeria’s Bio-fuel Policy and Incentives is recognized and appreciated but certainly has to be revisited for further peer review taking into account the GBEB’S Objectives and 24 Sustainability Indicators;
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7. That the Act to provide a policy Framework for the development of Bio-fuel Energy Industry in Nigeria; establish the Bio-Fuels Energy Regulatory Commission; Establish the Bio-fuels Research Agency; and for Matters connected therewith now before the 8th National Assembly and sponsored by Hon O.K Chinda is a welcome development. We note the potency of law vis-à-vis investors’ confidence to business interest in Bio-energy development. However this Bill is fraught with inherent gaps that will be filled during the public hearing;
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8. A Round Table should urgently be organized for all Stakeholders(relevant Ministries, Department and Agencies, MDAs, State Governments, private sectors, civil society and development partners) for purposes of coming up with all-embracing and sustainable Bio-energy Policy taking into consideration recommendations as above and consequent transmission to the National Assembly for legislative input.
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1. Set up association to engage closely with regulatory agencies and influences government decision making on , among other things issues relating to profitability of bio-energy in Nigeria, as well as the profitability for smaller holder participants;
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2. Policy Implications: Promote block farming and institutional support to smallholders farmers;
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3. Development of human capital- e.g. support technology research in tertiary institutions, initiate and support special training programme in bio-fuel technology in universities locally and abroad; initiate and support bio-fuel research and technology development in the country;
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3. Policy Interventions: Introduce a blending mandate to stimulate the Bio-fuels industry; fiscal incentives for producers and consumers(i.e Value Added Tax., V.A.T) and special incentives/support for integrating out growers;
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4. Ensure quality assurance and environmentally sound product design;
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5. Training/Capacity building in all the six geo-political zones: Two levels of training envisioned here:
(a) BIOTA (Bio-energy Techno-Economic Analysis for Nigeria) –accessible for non- technical people.
(b) PENTA (Process Engineering for environment and Techno-economic Analysis)-specifically for chemical engineers.
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6. Assessing competitiveness of bio-fuels on the national market (Naira) per litre
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7. Relevant Stakeholders should in collaboration with Global Bio-energy Partnership(GBEP) conduct a feasibility study(MAPPING) of lands suitable for bio-fuel crops so as to determine land capabilities in agro-climatic zones in the country; and the outcome of the study will influence crop selection and production capability. The research outcome will also help in making investment decisions, regulations, provision of infrastructure and other environmental issues.
List of Abbreviations
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1. BEFS-Bio-energy and Food Security
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2. BIOTA- Bio-energy Techno-Economic Analysis
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3. FAO-Food and Agricultural Organization
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4. GBEP-Global Bio-energy Partnership
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5. MDAs-Ministries, Departments and Agencies
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6. PENTA-Process Engineering for Environment and Techno-economic Analysis
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7. VAT-Value Added Tax
