1. KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. Nigeria’s reliance on fossil fuel generated GHG emissionsof 100.389MT CO2 in the year 2022, ranking Nigeria to be 4th largest emitter of carbon in Africa.
2. Anaerobic digesters are a great innovation for the country’s renewable energy options.
3. Nigeria has abundant sources of organic waste suitable for biogas production. For instance cattle waste alone has the potential of yielding about 25.53 billion cubic meters of biogas about 169 541.66 MWh of electricity and 88.19 million tons of bio-fertilizer per annum.
4. Biogas production offers diverse advantages, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, providing clean cooking energy, improving agricultural productivity through digestate use, and supporting off-grid energy access for rural communities.
5. Various projects, such as the biogas plants in Ikorodu-Lagos State, Ibadan-Oyo State, and Usman Danfodiyo University-Sokoto State, demonstrate the feasibility of biogas technology.
6. Biogas production in Nigeria faces barriers like high capital costs, policy and regulatory gaps, lack of infrastructure, limited public awareness, and challenges with feedstock collection and processing.

2. OVERVIEW

Nigeria is heavily reliant on fossil fuels, primarily oil, because it is one of the largest oil producers in Africa, with proven reserves of 37.50 billion barrels and a production capacity of approximately 2.19 million barrels per day (mbpd).13 Majority of its government revenue and export earnings come directly from crude oil sales, making its economy heavily dependent on this resource. Heavy dependence on fossil fuels due to its economic value creates significant environmental concerns. Fossil fuels account for more than 65% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, with an alarming GHG emissions of 100.389MT CO2 in the year 2022, ranking Nigeria to be 4th largest emitter of carbon in africa.10

As Nigeria takes strides toward achieving its climate and energy transition goals under the Paris Agreement, reducing this dependency will be critical for sustainability and energy security. Biogas produced from the anaerobic digestion of organic matter offers a plethora of benefits for Nigeria’s energy mix; due to its renewable and clean energy resource.

In this report, we will explore the transformative potential of harnessing this technology to play a pivotal role in waste management and renewable energy production, offering a sustainable solution to environmental issues in Nigeria.

3. SO, WHAT IS ANAEROBIC DIGESTION?

Let’s first talk about Organic Matter. Organic matter comprisesorganic compounds resulting from the remains of decomposed previously living organisms such as plants and animals, and their waste products. Major sources of organic material for anaerobic digestion include dairy manure, food processing waste, plant residues, municipal wastewater, food waste, fats, oils, and grease.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a biotechnological process that uses the diverse population of microorganisms to decompose organic matter in the absence of oxygen, resulting in the production of biogas—a renewable energy source primarily composed of methane (CH₄). The biotechnological process involves four stages: Hydrolysis, acidogenesis, Acetogenesis and Methanogenesis.10

The transformation of organic matter into biogas unveils anaerobic digesters as an environmentally sustainable and eco-friendly energy solution.

4. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Nigeria’s commitments under the Paris Agreement include achieving NetZero by 2060 and transitioning to clean energy sources.15 As such, Nigeria pledged in its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to adopt bioenergy as an alternative clean energy fuel to enhance its Energy Transition agenda. This supports Nigeria’s Long-Term Strategy for decarbonization, aiming to reduce emissions by 20% below the projected baseline levels by 2030, with a conditional target of achieving a 47% reduction within the same timeframe.16

As Nigeria takes firm strides towards a greener and more sustainable future, biogas emerges as a reliable clean energy technology to facilitate Nigeria’s NDC commitment.

5. CURRENT STATUS OF BIOGAS PRODUCTION IN NIGERIA

Although biogas plants are not yet familiar in the Nigerian energy market, some substantial work has been done and work is still in progress on it. For instance:

I. The Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, has designed a plant that can produce 425 litres of biogas per day, sufficient for basic cooking needs.
II. Biogas Plant for electricity generation through gas produced from co-digestion of cassava peels and cow dung at a factory in Ibadan, Oyo State
III. In 2019, the biogas plant at Ikorodu Mini Abattoir, in Lagos State, was capable of converting organic waste through the installation of four 5,000-litre digester tanks, fed with digestible organic waste and concentrated wastewater from the abattoir. Biogas generated was used to power the abattoir for close to six hours daily. The project was carried out by the Lagos State government, Friends of the Environment (FOTE) and HIS Biogas.3
IV. BTNL Nigeria’s project at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Port Harcourt focuses on producing organic fertilizer from waste. This initiative aims to convert waste generated within the facility into valuable organic fertilizer, promoting sustainable waste management and supporting agricultural productivity.8
In addition, various research works on the science and technology of biogas production have been carried out by various scientists in the country.

The Biogas Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BPAN) and Nigeria Biogas Association (NBA) have attested that despite biogas technology has proven to be a reliable and sustainable source of clean energy that could enable an affordable, reliable and available alternative clean energy solution in Nigeria it has only gained little legislative adoption and implementation in the Nigerian energy policy. 13

6. SIGNIFICANCE OF BIOGAS PRODUCTION

Biogas production offers multifaceted benefits that address energy, environmental, and socio-economic challenges. It’s also suitable for all the various fuel requirements in the household, agriculture and industrial sectors. For instance, domestically, it can be used for cooking, lighting, water heating, running refrigerators, water pumps and electric generators. Agriculturally, it can be used on farms for drying crops, pumping water for irrigation and other purposes. In industries, it can be used in small-scale industrial operations for direct heating applications such as in scalding tanks. 2

Biogas production offers multiple benefits:

I. Providing a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, contributing to energy security and reducing reliance on non-renewable resources.
II. Biogas systems capture methane emissions from decomposing organic waste that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere, reducing the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) impact, and significantly contributing to climate change mitigation.
III. Anaerobic digestion of organic waste reduces the volume of waste sent to landfills, alleviating land use pressures and minimizing pollution.
IV. The digestate, a byproduct of biogas production, is a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer that enhances soil fertility and agricultural productivity; which then reduces the dependency on chemical fertilizers and promotes sustainable farming practices.
V. Biogas systems provide affordable and reliable energy solutions for off-grid rural communities, improving living standards, reducing energy poverty, and reducing health risks associated with traditional biomass fuels.
VI. Biogas replaces firewood and charcoal as a cooking fuel, reducing deforestation and mitigating indoor air pollution.
VII. Biogas systems support sustainable agriculture by recycling nutrients and improving soil health. 5

7. CHALLENGES OF HARNESSING BIOGAS IN NIGERIA

Despite the promising prospects, the implementation of biogas production in Nigeria is not without challenges and limitations.In fact, there is no large-scale production of biogas in Nigeria at the moment. Most existing anaerobic digestion plants are owned by agricultural processing firms and household individuals. Many promising laboratory scale researches by Nigerian scholars have not been upgraded and the few pilot biogas plants have been marred with discontinuity due to several factors which include the technical hurdles in effectively digesting the diverse range of organic feedstocks and the socioeconomic barriers impeding the widespread adoption of biogas technology. 7, 14

Despite its potential, biogas production in Nigeria faces significant barriers:

I. High Initial Costs: Large-scale systems require substantial investments, often beyond the reach of most stakeholders.
II. Policy Gaps: Lack of clear regulatory frameworks and financial incentives.
III. Limited Awareness: Many communities and policymakers are unaware of the benefits of biogas technology.
IV. Technical Hurdles: Challenges in efficiently digesting diverse organic feedstocks. Limited access to high quality feedstock for efficient biogas production..
V. Infrastructure Deficits: Insufficient waste collection, sorting, disposal, and transportation systems; especially in rural areas.6

8. OPPORTUNITIES AND PATHWAYS TO HARNESSING BIOGAS PRODUCTION IN NIGERIA

Nigeria is endowed with a large bioenergy waste capacity. According to data from Statista, Nigeria is among the first six countries with the largest cattle population in Africa, this implies that the amount of cattle waste generated is significant producing about 542.5 million tons of organic waste per annum, which in turn has the potential of yielding about 25.53 billion cubic meters of biogas about 169 541.66 MWh of electricity and 88.19 million tons of bio-fertilizer per annum. Also, according to a 2021 Food and Agriculture Statistics database report Nigeria herd about 146.1 million ruminant livestock of which 21.2 million are Cattle, 48.6 million sheep and goats account for about 76.3 million.4

In a similar account, Abdullahi et al. investigated that the Fulani cow when compared with other cows can produce about 85.331% methane and around 197.157 cal/m3 of energy content or calorific value, making the Fulani cow a higher quantity of combustion energy than the other breeds of cows. The Fulani cows are commonly bred cow breeds in Nigeria.1 Hence, Nigeria’s energy sector stands at an advantage point to harness energy content in cow dung to achieve its clean energy biogas legislation.

Furthermore, Lagos State generates over 14,000 metric tons of waste daily, with 45% being organic—a critical raw material for biogas production.11 Thus, to adequately harness the production of biogas in Nigeria the following should be considered:

I. The development of a robust policy framework, which includes clear regulations, incentives, and financing options to encourage investment in biogas projects. Consistent and supportive policies can address some of the financial barriers associated with biogas project implementation.
II. Streamlined licensing procedures and clear guidelines for waste-to-energy projects should be established to reduce bureaucratic hurdles.
III. Collaboration with international organizations and agencies that specialize in renewable energy can also provide technical expertise and financial support for biogas initiatives.
IV. Increasing awareness and capacity building programs can train individuals about biogas technology, its operation and maintenance, and its benefits, which are essential to drivingits adoption.
V. Investments in waste collection, sorting, and transportation infrastructures are needed to ensure a consistent supply and high quality feedstock of organic waste to biogas plants.
VI. Research and development (R&D) initiatives are pivotal in advancing biogas technology and its applications. Investments in R&D can lead to the discovery of novel microbial strains that are more efficient in biogas production.7, 9

9. CONCLUSION

Biogas production through anaerobic digestion holds immense potential to transform Nigeria’s energy sector. By addressing waste management challenges, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and enhancing energy access, biogas can play a pivotal role in achieving Nigeria’s renewable energy goals and climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.

To fully harness this potential, concerted efforts from policymakers, private investors, international agencies, and local communities are essential. Investments in infrastructure, education, and research will create a foundation for sustainable growth in the biogas sector. Through collaborative action, Nigeria can leverage its abundant organic waste resources to drive energy security, economic development, and environmental sustainability.

REFERENCES

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