Joshua B. Akarakiri

Wood energy in Nigeria

Fuelwood is the predominant source of energy for rural populations in Nigeria. As the population grows, increasing depletion of forests has resulted in reductions in the energy available for cooking, shortages of wood for manufacturing and an ecological hazard due to the southward encroachment of the Sahara desert. Here, we examine energy in Nigeria and the contribution of wood to the national economy.

Private electric power generation as an alternative in Nigeria

About 9% of the energy mix in Nigeria is in the form of electricity. It is a major source of energy for the urban population. In the recent past, there has been consistent failure of electricity supplied by the public organisation. Consumers are now turning to private means to meet their electricity needs. We have assessed the electricity supplies from the national grids and from private electricity generators.

Promoting Climate Smart Agriculture Through Space Technology in Nigeria

Agriculture is one of the sectors mostly affected by climate change. Nigerian farmers have been losing their harvests to the impacts of climate change leading to lower crop production and poorer livelihoods. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is an adaptation strategy that helps rural farmers to be resilient to and cope with the effects of climate change. It can be improved through the use of space technology by empowering key actors, providing them with reliable weather forecasts at the right time.

Constraints and Limits to Climate Change Adaptation Efforts in Nigeria

Nigeria is experiencing adverse climate conditions with negative impacts on the welfare of millions of people. Persistent droughts and flooding, off season rains and dry spells have sent growing seasons out of track, in a country dependent on a rain-fed agriculture. The result is reduced water supplies for use in agriculture, hydro power generation and other users. It is widely believed that climate change is responsible for all these as reported in the 4th IPCC Assessment Report, which suggests that Africa will be worst hit by the effects of climate change of which Nigeria is a part. Farmers were facing a lot of climate change induced challenges on their farms of which flooding, erratic rainfall, high temperature and low crop yield are the most prominent. The Nigerian government have made efforts to curtail these challenges by promoting various adaptation measures. These include provision of improved crop varieties, fertilizers, irrigation schemes and geo-data. Most of these measures are not well received by the farmers due to cultural and religious sentiments, illiteracy, language barrier and unwillingness to change mode of farming. The paper assessed the adaptation measures and the barriers of adoption and proffered solutions for acceptance. The results of the study will be beneficial for agricultural ministries, departments and agencies in Nigeria and Sub-Sahara Africa.

New product development process: The case of selected technical and vocational colleges in Nigeria

An examination of the literature reveals that studies on new product development processes have been carried out mostly in western contexts using sequential models. This study was conducted using the innovation systems approach and a sequential model to analyze new product development processes in selected technical and vocational colleges in Nigeria. Using a questionnaire survey method, the sequential model revealed that most of the respondents (91%) conceived of their products through job experience and only 4.9% conceived of product ideas through R&D, showing a weakness in science-based enquiries in the invention stages. In addition, 73.9% developed prototypes while 82.2%, 80.4%, and 69.2% conducted feasibly studies, business analyses and market surveys, respectively. These results imply capability in the commercialization stages of the sequential model. The systems of innovation approach however revealed very weak linkages with universities and R&D institutes which could have complemented lack of R&D activities in the technical and vocational colleges. While some useful and beneficial technological products have been developed in the colleges, we conclude that the use of sequential models and systems of innovation approach may bring a fresh perspective to the product development process.

Technological Analysis of Sustainable Biofuels Development in Nigeria

Nigeria’s biofuel policy calls for 10% bioethanol and 20% biodiesel substitution in domestic petrol and diesel consumptions of 35 million and 12 million litres per day respectively. Although the policy was approved in 2005, after six years, a vibrant biofuels industry has not taken off in the country. In this paper, using strategic analysis approach, we determined the key technological impediments to biofuel industry development in Nigeria to be inadequate knowledge on feedstock and landmass requirements, the “food vs fuel” debate, fuel subsidy implications, indifference and low market confidence by investors, limited S&T human capability, poor funding, weak institutional framework and poor infrastructure provision. We have established that Nigeria’s total biofuel production at highest demand by 2020 (11.64 Million Tons) would require 51.8 Million Tons of feedstock comprising 48.44 Million Tons of cassava for bioethanol and 3.36 Million Tons of Jatropha curcas for biodiesel. This production demand would require 57.5 Thousand Sq. Km of land. This is less than 8% and 20% of the arable land (726 Thousand Sq. Km) or cultivated land (340 Thousand Sq. Km) in Nigeria respectively. Hence the food vs fuel fears were deemed unnecessary. We argue that the N1.2 trillion (US

Cassava Bio-Ethanol Development in Nigeria and Its Food SecurityConsiderations

8 billion) fuel subsidy claimed by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2011 be converted as seed capital for the take-off of the biofuels industry in the country.

A review of fuel production from wood residues

Critics of Nigeria’s cassava bio-ethanol production policy have argued that its development will have severe food security implications in the country. Our paper takes a critical look at cassava feedstock and landmass requirements necessary to meet the policy focus. We also considered the cassava production targets of the national cassava production targets and their landmass requirements. We determined that if production targets alone were the basis for analysis, then cassava utilisation as feedstock in the biofuel initiative would compromise food security as production requirements are about 17-25% of cassava production targets in the country. However, if the basis of analysis was landmass utilisation, cassava utilisation as bio-ethanol feedstock would not necessary compromise food security as less than 2% of arable land and less than 4% of cultivated land would be required to produce the cassava required to meet bio-ethanol feedstock requirements. In fact the total land area required to produce the feedstock and meet national production targets are less than 10% of arable land and 20% of cultivated land. Hence government and other key player of the cassava production system can be encouraged to open up the available land for greater production of cassava for the market.

System dynamics, uncertainty and hydrocarbon resources modelling: A systematic review

About 66% of timber ends up as residues, which have been considered to be a waste material. We have studied wood-residue conversion to fuel. Wood residue has the same chemical and physical properties as wood with an energy value of about 0.55 of that of coal per unit mass.