Biomass Resources and Energy Access in Nigeria: A Scoping Review

Nigeria, commonly known as the "giant of Africa," has a large population and abundant energy resources, yet is facing epileptic power supply challenges. This thesis explores the potential of biomass resources in addressing the country's limited electricity supply and energy access challenges, focusing on agricultural residues, municipal solid waste, livestock waste, and forest residues. The study adopts a scoping review method using the 2018 PRISMA-ScR extension as a guideline to assess the current potential of biomass resource utilization. It examines the potential, major trends driving the field. Findings reveal that Nigeria’s biomass resources could significantly contribute to electricity generation. Major cities identified could potentially generate between 0.4 – 15.36 billion GWh of energy annually, which can generate a substantial amount of electricity. If properly managed, total city waste could generate approximately 20,378 metric tonnes daily. Additionally, based on 2022 data, popular commodity crops in Nigeria can yield an annual substantial estimate of 2,918.50 million metric tonnes of biomass suitable for power generation, which translates to 3.391 million GWh energy potential with livestock waste offering further energy potential of 950.53 thousand metric tonnes, which translates to 263,889 MWh and 0.26 GWh energy potential. However, challenges such as policy gaps, infrastructure limitations, limited funding, market barriers and appropriate technology currently constrain the full exploitation of bioenergy adoption. The review findings provide suggestive evidence for stakeholders and policymakers in diversifying Nigeria’s electric power generation through best practices. Despite study findings, there is a need for conducting further research that could exhaustively quantify biomass resources and pave the way for facilitating strategic bioenergy infrastructure development and optimal biomass resource logistics.