Gas from What We Throw Away: A Practical Case for Biogas from Cassava Peels, Abattoir Waste and Markets in Nigeria
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Most Nigerian homes still cook with firewood or charcoal, and a 12.5 kg refill of cooking gas averaged ₦22,382 in April 2026. Meanwhile, millions of tonnes of cassava peels, abattoir waste and market refuse rot in the open. This study asks how much cooking energy that waste could give through anaerobic digestion, and where biogas makes sense. Using published Nigerian waste figures and measured gas yields, I estimate that all of Nigeria's cassava peels could supply the energy of about 22 million gas cylinders a year, and cattle rumen content up to about 2 million more. That is a real prize, but it cannot replace firewood nationwide. The strongest case is for digesters at abattoirs, garri processing clusters, markets and schools, where waste is already gathered in one place. The study also sets rules for methane leaks, pathogens and maintenance, which have sunk earlier African biogas programmes.
Author: Ogbonna, Kelechi
Language: English
Subfield: Building and Construction
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225010531