INTRODUCTION

Fossil Fuels such as coal and gasoline provide most of the energy needs of the world today, but because of their diminishing reserves, high prices and most importantly, their damaging effect on the environment, alternative sources of energy and environmentally friendly fuels are now being developed. There are a number of alternative sources of energy and environmentally friendly fuels available to combat the damage to the environment caused by Fossil Fuels, of which biofuels happen to be the most promising.

Biofuels are any kind of fuels made from plants or animals. These include wood, wood chippings, methane from animal excrement or as a result of bacterial action and ethanol from plant materials. Lately it is ethanol that has become synonymous with the term ‘biofuel’ and is in wide use in combination with gasoline in the transportation industry.  Close to it is biodiesel which has been found to be more suitable for running existing automobile engines in the country.

Nigeria has all it takes to be the number one country in the production of ethanol and biodiesel in the next ten years. This essay pinpoints how the country’s biofuel industry can be properly developed with Cassava, Nypa palm and Jestropha plant as the major biomass.

CASSAVA –ETHANOL PRODUCTION

Cassava is a tree-like plant that is the staple food for Nigeria and much of the surrounding region. Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of Cassava, with 30 million tons produced annually. Recent research has shown that Cassava can be refined to create ethanol. This discovery has already been well received by China and Thailand where Cassava is already being used to make ethanol; coincidentally, the Cassava being used in these nations is being imported from Nigeria, which means that Nigeria has a better standing that these countries. As a major step towards the development of the industry, the Nigerian government has already made an agreement with Brazilian fuel company, Petrobras, in which Brazil will supply the Nigerian national oil company with the technology to build and sustain an ethanol industry in exchange for a Nigerian market for Brazilian ethanol. This is a tremendous step in the right direction because the Nigerian people will be creating their own industry instead of selling their resources and labour to foreign companies. With this deal, the average farmer will personally profit from the sales of his crops.

In order to ensure that the crop is produced in abundance, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has proposed agreements with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) that will focus on the low yield problems with Cassava. Once the agreements are made, researchers will study various Cassava varieties that could create higher yields. These higher yields will nullify the negative effect that ethanol production would have on the food supply. Of course, this will not be enough. The Nigerian government will have to make sure that land is not sold in mass quantities to fuel companies. The best path for Nigeria is one in which the expansion of land dedicated to industrial Cassava farming is limited, while coupled with a set percentage of land dedicated to industrial and consumer use.

NYPA PALM – ANOTHER SOURCE OF ETHANOL

Fortunately for the Nigerian people, there is another great untapped resource in the Niger Delta that can be used to produce ethanol. The Nypa Palm or Mangrove tree was first brought to Nigeria in the early twentieth century by European settlers. Since that time, it has seen prolific growth now covering 504,000 hectares in the Niger Delta alone. It is considered an invasive species because it suppresses other plants. There have been efforts to stop its expansion, but all efforts have failed. For the most part, the people of Nigeria have come to accept that the plant is there to stay. Recent studies in Southeast Asia show that the tree can be tapped to obtain enough sap to make the production of ethanol feasible.  Researches have learned that ethanol can be cheaply produced from the sap using a fermentation process.

If the use of the Nypa Palm for ethanol production is adopted by Nigeria then it will bring many needed jobs to the area. Although the Niger Delta is the home to the Nigerian oil industry, it is considered the poorest part of the country. For the people of the area, growing the tree will be a very painless process, as it does not require special care. Harvesting the sap is easy to learn and when perfected, can procure even more sap. The growth of this industry will bring many jobs to the area, and in that way help in alleviating the sufferings of the people.

The key to the success of both the Cassava and Mangrove industries lies with the farmers and labourers. The oil industry failed to bring Nigeria into the industrial age because large foreign companies took over. The local people were not involved in what happened to their resources or in setting the price at which their labour and resources would be sold. The same injustice cannot occur with the emerging ethanol industry. Production of the biomass must remain in the hands of the local farmers. As long as they own the Cassava and the Mangrove trees, they will have a steady income. Furthermore, the ethanol refineries and distilleries must be locally owned. It is of the utmost importance that Nigeria remains in control of this last resource that will bring it into the modern era. The point must be made that the ethanol industry will not bring a new affordable fuel to the people of Nigeria. The technology used in the area is not suited for ethanol use. Ethanol burns at a much higher temperature than gasoline and can damage the low quality engines used in the country. The biofuel most suitable for integration into the Nigerian fuel market is biodiesel. Biodiesel can be used in all the engines currently in use in Nigeria without alteration. Conveniently for the Nigerian fuel economy, there is an excellent plant that can accommodate these needs: the Jatropha plant.

JATROPHA AND BIODIESEL PRODUCTION

The Jatropha plant is a small tree that was brought to Africa by the Portuguese from the Caribbean. There is no part of the Jatropha plant that is edible. What makes the plant so unique is the fact that it can grow on marginal lands, does not require more than 400 to500mm of rainfall per year, and it can endure long periods of drought. Jatropha has been used in rural Africa for hedges, to prevent wind damage and water and soil erosion. Surprisingly, the local people have been using Jatropha oil for their various needs over the past several decades on Sustainable Development. The conditions are ideal to take Jatropha use to the next stage. The foundation has already been laid and all that needs to be done is implement an oil industry centered on Jatropha.  Jatropha seeds have an oil content ranging from 25 to 37 percent.  The oil can be directly used in small combustion engines, diesel engine vehicles, or diesel generators.

The uses of Jatrophado do not end there. Once the oil has been extracted, the remaining seed can be made into seedcake. This seedcake contains high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, making it an excellent source of fertilizer. The potential that Jatropha has in developing Africa is being realized to its fullest extent.

Jatropha can and should be used to create a stable biofuel economy in Nigeria.  As it is not a food crop, there is no question of food scarcity resulting from its use in the biofuel industry.  Jatropha appears to be the miracle solution to Nigeria’s problems if all things are handled correctly. The success of this emerging industry is dependent on the cooperative effort of both the Cassava and Jatropha industries.

THE WAY FORWARD…

For Nigeria, the implementation of the three industries discussed above is crucial in developing a stable and productive biofuels economy. It has been decided by the world powers that ethanol is the alternative fuel of the future. In order to have a presence in the global market, Nigeria will need to develop a significant ethanol industry. Being the leading producer of Cassava, Nigeria has the necessary crop base to introduce an ethanol industry. However, Cassava is the main staple food of Nigeria and the adoption of a Cassava based industry can have negative repercussions on the food supply, so research must be done on ways to improve yields. This stress on the food supply makes it of the utmost importance for Nigeria to adopt a two part ethanol industry based on Cassava and the Nypa Palm which can be found throughout the impoverished Niger Delta region.  Ethanol is perfect for Nigeria’s involvement in the global economy, but its domestic use is limited. Most people in Nigeria do not possess the technology in which ethanol can be utilized. However, diesel engines are common place in Nigeria and they can run on biodiesel without modification. This would make the implementation of Jatropha for biodiesel production top priority.  Jatropha can be grown on marginal lands, does not require an abundance of water, and restores nutrients to the soil. As such, Jatropha is the answer to Nigeria’s desertification and water problems. Developing a Jatropha economy could be the most important action that the Nigerian government ever takes, because oil produced by Jatropha can be used in electrical generators that will supply the Nigerian people with clean electricity. The availability of electricity will lead to the industrialization of Nigeria and an increase the overall standard of living.

None of this would be possible without active government involvement. It must be the government’s responsibility to prevent the Cassava industry from falling into the hands of foreign companies, resulting in the expansion of industrial farming and a decrease in land availability for consumer use. Secondly, it must be noted that nothing can be done without aid from the western powers. No matter how much dedication the Nigerian people show, they do not have the money or the technology to begin a biofuels industry. Brazil has already taken the first step, with the pact between Petrobras and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. The Nigerian people do not need another foreign run industry but, they do need aid in starting their own. It should be active policy of nations, such as the United States, to supply Nigeria with the technology necessary for biofuel production in exchange for fuel or a foreign market. With foreign aid, Nigeria could easily become a major force in the global biofuel economy.  This will be a major leap in attaining Nigeria’s Vision 2020 of becoming one of the 20 most developed economies in the world.