Bio-energy Revolution in Nigeria: Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Leads the Pace II

Bio-energy Revolution in Nigeria: Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Leads the Pace II

In my last week article, it was reported that ABU was being forced to source for alternative energy as a result of unaffordable and unsustainable electricity bill the university shoulders monthly. However, the university looks beyond the payment of electricity bill but moves to turn this adversity to prosperity. Use the technology to build human capacity for the nation. Can ABU succeed?

X-raying the human resources and infrastructure at the university’s disposal, ABU requires only technical and financial supports to succeed in this venture. In fact, ABU is one of the leading Ivory Towers known for championing a technological development for the benefit of Nigeria and humanity in general. For instance, in recent times, ABU was reported to have designed and successfully built a mini-refinery using locally sourced materials for economic and academic usage. The motivations for the building of the refinery were the concern of the university for the huge foreign exchange invested to repair and undertake the so-called turn-around maintenance of the refineries in the country. This was succinctly captured by Prof. Ibrahim Ali Mohammed-Dabo, the team leader of ABU Refinery Research Team who was quoted by Daily Trust, a national daily in its edition of 26^th January, 2017.  He said, “One of the refineries located in Kaduna was built by Chioda, a Japanese Chemical Engineering Company. Ironically Japan is not an oil producing country but has invested hugely and developed a petroleum refinery technology exporting it to other countries. Another motivating factor is that whenever some components or sections of the Nigerian state-owned refineries develop faults the original designers have to be called upon to rectify the problems”. No doubt, this feat is the first of its kind in Africa as stated by Prof. Dabo “This ABU mini-refinery is the second refinery housed within a university globally. The first is in Spain. Many universities have facilities for oil and gas related teaching, research and development but domiciled in laboratories unlike our own which is completely in the field mimicking the real industrial set-up”. The acquisition of technical-know–how to build refinery with local materials has huge potential for foreign exchange earning to the nation. Ordinarily, this area should attract investors.

Back to the bio-energy revolution in Nigeria, Biogas is one of the alternative sources of fuel that can supply both electricity and cooking need. Some of the advantages of Biogas in addition to electricity and fuel for cooking, the waste generated from the digester is a rich and refined organic fertilizer. Use of bio fuel for cooking automatically eliminates the use of fuel wood by the rural farmers thereby reducing deforestation, a menace with serious ecological consequences. Above all, biogas is cheaper than all forms of conventional energy in Nigeria while improving agricultural productivity and sustaining the environment. Hence, biogas technology is the most reliable and adequate means for a sustainable livelihood that should be championed by all and sundry.

In Nigeria, there are pockets of biogas projects scattered nationwide as reported in my previous articles, some private sectors are also involved such as NASRUN Nig. Ltd. This company has facilitated the establishment of the largest Biogas Plant in Nigeria; the Kutunku Farms, Minna, Niger state. The Biogas Plant size occupies about 140 m³. The biogas project in Nigeria becomes necessary because the household sector has consistently accounted for over half of Nigeria’s total domestic energy consumption. It is based on this premise that the ABU – BIONAS partnership, consummated by signing of MOU rekindles hope and make ABU in the spotlight of the bio-energy revolution. During the groundbreaking ceremony for signing of the MOU, the Chief Executive Officer, BIONAS Nigeria, Umar Sani Gambo was quoted saying “the essence of the collaboration with Ahmadu Bello University is to transfer technology under the BIONAS brand. BIONAS is planning to develop a Centre for Excellence that would provide a training platform for the industries”. While appreciating the warm reception and encouragement from the ABU management, the BIONAS CEO said the company agreed to partner with ABU for national growth and development. He was similarly quoted saying “in order to reposition the firm well in Nigeria; it forged a relationship with the Federal Ministry of Environment”. Ms Zurina Amnan The Group Chief Executive Officer of Bionas worldwide was among the BIONAS delegation at the occasion in the University’s VC chamber.

ABU has found a good partner in BIONAS for achieving its lofty objective of sourcing alternative energy as the firm is refuted to be credible as a vanguard for green energy globally. BIONAS is present in over 50 countries driving the Jatropha Value Chain for bio fuel production. Its activities were widely reported last year indicating vigor to boost Nigerian economy through huge investment. It has started investing through a plan to establish a $2.5 billion factory for the mass production of bio-fuel from the Jatropha plants in Zaria.  The Group Chief Executive was reported saying that “Jatropha Plantation would soon be set up, while processing machines would be installed at Zaria Factory in short while as we don’t want to repeat the past mistake again.” Accordingly, BIONAS Nigeria plans to train over 200,000 Nigerians for the project, especially graduates of science or engineering and to acquaint them with the latest energy technology for bio-fuel supply and distribution. These trainees are expected to implement the Jatropha programme in other African countries, as there are huge markets for the bio fuel across the continent. In addition, BIONAS plans to invest in housing units, commercial clinic, schools, across the nation. However, the main focus is to build a new town for Jatropha project in Nigeria, while making BIONAS seeds available to farmers where Jatropha plants are produced for making bio fuel including aviation fuel, which sells at the same price with fossil fuel.

Jatropha curcas is a resilient shrub, which grows in a range of terrain including area considers as wasteland, sandy soil and saline soil where many crops cannot be grown. It is considered to be a drought tolerance plant, which requires relatively smaller quantity of water to survive. It does not require any particular soil type for growth and   can   perform   on   diverse   soil compositions. Jatropha cultivation is gaining popularity while scientists are actively investigating its suitability for the economic advantage over other crops as source for bio fuel. Research has indicated that Jatropha oil yield in Nigeria is above 40%. Nigeria has deforested and large chunks of wasteland mass, which can be utilized for the Jatropha cultivation. Hitherto, Jatropha was used essentially as a boundary plant for fencing farmlands and compounds in rural areas of Nigeria especially in the far north.

Coincidently, the ABU – BIONAS partnership is certainly to benefit from impressive research results on Jatropha conducted by Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), one of the oldest and most formidable agricultural research centre in the country. IAR is one of the twelve research centres under the authority of ABU. IAR is the only research Institute in Nigeria with mandate to genetically develop Jatropha alongside other crops. Already, IAR has characterized more than varieties of Jatropha in the country. Similarly, many research works on Jatropha has been going on in a nearby research centre; National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Zaria. Additionally, there is another formidable stakeholder; National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), which another ABU centre with national mandate for agricultural extension. NAERLS ability to mobilize farmers for mass crop production is splendid. Presently, NAERLS is directly working with over 7, 000 farmers under the adopted village concept within the three local government areas surrounding ABU. With these three research and extension centres in Zaria, ABU – BIONAS partnership is heading for success when these stakeholders are brought on board.