7 Will a Transition to Renewable Energy Promote …
249
compete with food.
79 The government needs non-food biomass feedstock to harness renewable energy,
80 which is crucial for sustainable
biofuel. This is also crucial to avoid counter-productive efforts that
would adversely impact the agricultural sector, and lead to food insecurity, especially if we factor in the increasing impacts of climate change
on agriculture. Crop residues, which could be on-farm burnt or leftover
materials or industrial by-products from processed crops,
81 are enormous in Nigeria. Their usefulness can vary in terms of density, moisture
content, site and source of origin, a period of harvest, and harvesting
technique. But whether field-based primary residues produced in the
course of harvest or industrially processed as secondary residues, both
have a potential for renewable energy generation.
82 These resources have
simply been underutilized. Local farmers in most cases, convert such
residues into locally prepared organic manure in place of artificially
produced fertilizer.
Economically, forestry as a source of biomass can substantially
contribute to a country’s power source. There is revealing evidence from
research that about 9.5% of Nigeria’s total land is covered by forest.
83
The southern part of the country is characterized by tropical rainforest
forest, while Sahel savannah exists in the north. The rain forest produces
greater woody biomass, unlike savannah forest that mainly produces crop
residues.
84 Throughout Nigeria, the forest is seen, and a larger part of it is
under government reserve,
85 but is not always adequately protected and
conserved.
86 Forest residues remain under-exploited in Nigeria, but most
79 Ben-Iwo, Manovic and Longhurst (n 64).
80 Ibid.
81 Ibid.
82 Moses Hensley Duku, Sai Gu and Essel Ben Hagan, ‘A Comprehensive Review of Biomass
Resources and Biofuels Potential in Ghana’ (2011) 15 Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Reviews, 404–415.
83 Osakue Jessy Osaghae, ‘Potential Biomass-Based Electricity Generation in a Rural Community
in Nigeria’ (Masters thesis, Luleå University of Technology 2009)
84 KJ Simonyan and O Fasina, ‘Biomass Resources and Bioenergy Potentials in Nigeria’ (2013)
8(40) African Journal of Agricultural, 4975–4989.
85 Yekini Suberu Mohammed and others, ‘Renewable Energy Resources for Distributed POWER
Generation in Nigeria: A Review of the Potential’ (2013) 22 Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Reviews, 257–268.
86 Ben-Iwo, Manovic and Longhurst (n 64).
249
compete with food.
79 The government needs non-food biomass feedstock to harness renewable energy,
80 which is crucial for sustainable
biofuel. This is also crucial to avoid counter-productive efforts that
would adversely impact the agricultural sector, and lead to food insecurity, especially if we factor in the increasing impacts of climate change
on agriculture. Crop residues, which could be on-farm burnt or leftover
materials or industrial by-products from processed crops,
81 are enormous in Nigeria. Their usefulness can vary in terms of density, moisture
content, site and source of origin, a period of harvest, and harvesting
technique. But whether field-based primary residues produced in the
course of harvest or industrially processed as secondary residues, both
have a potential for renewable energy generation.
82 These resources have
simply been underutilized. Local farmers in most cases, convert such
residues into locally prepared organic manure in place of artificially
produced fertilizer.
Economically, forestry as a source of biomass can substantially
contribute to a country’s power source. There is revealing evidence from
research that about 9.5% of Nigeria’s total land is covered by forest.
83
The southern part of the country is characterized by tropical rainforest
forest, while Sahel savannah exists in the north. The rain forest produces
greater woody biomass, unlike savannah forest that mainly produces crop
residues.
84 Throughout Nigeria, the forest is seen, and a larger part of it is
under government reserve,
85 but is not always adequately protected and
conserved.
86 Forest residues remain under-exploited in Nigeria, but most
79 Ben-Iwo, Manovic and Longhurst (n 64).
80 Ibid.
81 Ibid.
82 Moses Hensley Duku, Sai Gu and Essel Ben Hagan, ‘A Comprehensive Review of Biomass
Resources and Biofuels Potential in Ghana’ (2011) 15 Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Reviews, 404–415.
83 Osakue Jessy Osaghae, ‘Potential Biomass-Based Electricity Generation in a Rural Community
in Nigeria’ (Masters thesis, Luleå University of Technology 2009)
84 KJ Simonyan and O Fasina, ‘Biomass Resources and Bioenergy Potentials in Nigeria’ (2013)
8(40) African Journal of Agricultural, 4975–4989.
85 Yekini Suberu Mohammed and others, ‘Renewable Energy Resources for Distributed POWER
Generation in Nigeria: A Review of the Potential’ (2013) 22 Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Reviews, 257–268.
86 Ben-Iwo, Manovic and Longhurst (n 64).