Nigeria to harness bioenergy potentials, inaugurates steering committee

The Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) has inaugurated the steering committee of the Nigeria bioenergy partnership (NBEP) to harness the benefits in the sector.

The inauguration of the technical committee took place in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mustapha Abdullahi, ECN director general, said the inauguration of the committee is part of efforts to join the global bioenergy partnership (GBEP) initiative.

He said the country would benefit from its abundant bioenergy potentials which have been underutilised for years.

Abdullahi said Nigeria’s biomass potential can be directed into modern bioenergy which could mitigate climate change, promote rural economic development, as well as provide energy access and security.

“The composition of the National GBEP Steering and Technical Committee is to formally and fully commence discussions on bioenergy with stakeholders,” he said.

“This will consequently open the frontiers and unlock the huge potentials of the bioenergy resources for the country, which Nigeria stands to make enormous benefits from.

“Modern bioenergy can provide multiple benefits, such as energy access and security, promoting rural economic development, increasing household income, improving the living standard of the rural community, mitigating climate change, and providing access to modern energy services, among others.

“A glance at the biomass resources of our nation, reveals the great blessing our nation is endowed with in the area of enormous biomass energy potentials.

“Such that we have 11 million hectares of forest and woodland, municipal waste that has been quantified as 30 million tonnes per year, animal waste amounting to 245 million, assorted animals in 2001, energy crops and agricultural residues which give 72.5 million hectares.

“Nigeria therefore, has relatively abundant bioenergy potentials which have been grossly underutilized and if adequately exploited, will make significant contributions to the nation’s energy mix and the economy.”

Also, Jude Asogwa, ECN’s director of renewable energy, said the committee would initiate activities that will pave the way for Nigeria.

Asogwa added that it would enable the country to cut dependence on imported fossil fuels, expand access to modern energy services and mitigate climate change.