Biofuel Development in Nigeria Production and Policy Challenges

Abstract

Exploring renewable energy resources stimulates social and clean economic development. The global renewable share in the total primary energy supply is steadily increasing but some countries are not actively contributing to this growth. The current Nigeria dependence on depleting fossil-based fuels can only be changed through a balanced and long-term renewable energy policy that is built on a step by step accomplishment basis. Biofuel remains the sustainable and promising option for Nigeria due to a large biomass reserve of 144 million tons per year. Although, biofuels have been identified as the real deal in increasing energy access, productivity, income, employment generation and also in combating carbon emissions which would invariably check the worst effects of climate change, the existing policies engineered to drive biofuel development are weak resulting into the failure to meeting the national targets; a 10% ethanol blending policy target between 2007-2016, 100% domestic biofuels production target by 2020 and 2000MW of electricity from renewables by the year 2020. Besides the uneven policies menace, lack of incentive, poor energy infrastructure, low cultivation of biomass and yields and non-attractive biofuel market price have been the major obstacles for biofuel development in Nigeria. Nevertheless, active participation of private and public institutions will birth a more realistic policy and a sustainable biofuel production, distribution, market and application in the country.