The managing director of Biodiesel Nigeria Limited, Engr. Hussaini Solomon, has said his company has concluded arrangement to establish a mini-biodiesel refinery in Lokoja, Kogi state worth N5.2 billion.
In an exclusive chat with Leadership, Solomon said his company, which recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Kogi State government and other relevant stakeholders in order to finalise the take-off of the project, has gone far in making the project a reality.
He said the project, which has an initial capacity of 100,000 litres per day, is billed to employ over 4000 young farmers in the state.
He further revealed that his company, Biodiesel Nigeria Limited, has been in the forefront of Jatropha biodiesel development for over 10 years. He listed his current customers to include telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria, which he said has continued to enjoy reduction in its cost of power generation with the introduction of Biodiesels into its generating plants across the country.
Speaking on the prospect of the economic diversification project being embarked upon through the new policy framework on Biofuels development in the country, Solomon noted that initiative can fast track the diversification of the nation’s mono-economy. To actualize this, he said the nation must focus on the promotion of Biofuels production, blending and its value chain of activities.
“Biofuels provide a new economic opportunity to enhance the economic growth of Nigeria in Agriculture, Manufacturing and Energy Sectors, hence the GDP.
“The Biofuels policy is designed to diversify access to energy; create job opportunities; act as sources of revenues and mitigating greenhouse gases emissions by linking agriculture with petroleum industry,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the National President of Jatropha Growers, Processors and Exporters Association of Nigeria (JaGPEAN), Major General J. A. Omosebi (RTD) has disclosed that the association has mapped out strategies to ensure Nigeria attains self-sufficiency in the production Jatropha oil required for the biodiesel needs of the country by year 2022.
He stated this while presenting a paper titled, “Accelerating Biofuels Production and Usage in Nigeria: Role of the Agricultural Sector,” at the workshop.
Credit: Leadership
