The National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN) has hinted of plans by the Federal Government to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Malaysian Government as part of its sustained efforts marking to develop palm biomass in the country.
The President of the association, Ambassador Alphonsus Inyang, was quoted as making this disclosure on Wednesday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
According to him, the pact will help in processing biomass, which is agricultural waste, into wealth.
Inyang maintained that NPPAN was collaborating with its Malaysian counterparts to replicate the success of Malaysia’s palm biomass industry in Nigeria.
Inyang spoke on the immense socioeconomic benefits the development of palm biomass for the country, including its potential of contributing a projected $10 billion to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) within four years as well creating over five million jobs in five years.
The industry expert explained Nigeria’s substantial annual generation of agricultural waste and expressed optimism that the MoU between the Nigerian government and its Malaysia would enable the country to harness the waste materials for various industrial utilization.
Specifically, he listed the potential applications of palm biomass as diverse and include the production of industrial goods, electricity generation, medicine and fertilizer, among others
This is even as the NPPAN President spoke on the environmental benefits, citing the potential for carbon credit gains, forest preservation, conservation efforts, and job creation.
In addition, Inyang further clarified that the palm tree, with its 90% biomass and 10% palm oil composition, remained a largely unexplored resource in the country and that various parts of the palm tree currently discarded as waste, could be utilized for electricity generation, furniture material production, organic fertilizer manufacturing, and medicinal applications.
He explained that the association had initiated discussions with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment with a view to developing a comprehensive National Biomass Master Plan for Nigeria.
The industry expert, projected that the plan which expected to be finalized by June, would serve as a crucial policy document guiding the implementation of palm biomass initiatives in the country and appealed to the Ministry to prioritize the development of the Master Plan in order to chart the desired course for the sustainable utilization of palm biomass resources in the country.
