FG approves bioenergy plan to strengthen energy security

Prrsident Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a National Bioenergy Strategic Plan aimed at harnessing Nigeria’s vast biomass and biological resources to expand energy access, improve energy sufficiency and strengthen the country’s energy security.

The approval is expected to provide a coordinated national framework for converting agricultural waste, forestry resources, livestock residues and other biological materials into useful energy while reducing the country’s heavy reliance on conventional energy sources. Blueprint reports

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the council meeting presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Udeh said the council also approved the Nigeria Biotechnology Partnership, which would provide a platform for coordinating Nigeria’s participation in international biotechnology collaborations while helping the country attract investment, technology and expertise into the bioenergy sector.

According to him, both initiatives are designed to unlock opportunities in a sector that has remained largely underdeveloped despite Nigeria’s considerable biological and biomass resources.

Government targets untapped biomass resources

Udeh said Nigeria had abundant biomass resources that could be converted into energy if the right policies, technology and investments were put in place.

He identified resources from agriculture, forestry, livestock and organic waste as potential sources of energy that could contribute to addressing the country’s persistent energy challenges.

“Nigeria is rich in biomass and bioresources that can be converted into energy. This framework and partnership will be leveraged to maximise the opportunities available to the country in the production and utilisation of bioenergy,” the minister said.

He explained that the new strategic plan was consistent with the administration’s efforts to expand energy supply and develop alternative sources capable of complementing conventional energy generation.

Rather than allowing biomass resources to remain underutilised or become environmental waste, the government intends to develop systems through which they can be transformed into productive energy resources.

The minister said the ultimate objective was to make bioenergy an important component of Nigeria’s energy mix and contribute to improving access to reliable energy across the country.

ECN to lead implementation

Udeh identified the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), an agency under the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, as the lead institution responsible for implementing the strategic plan.

However, he stressed that implementation would not be left to a single government agency because of the cross-sectoral nature of bioenergy.

According to him, agriculture, energy, environment, industry, scientific research and investment are all connected to the development of the bioenergy sector.

He explained that various ministries, departments and agencies had previously embarked on separate bioenergy initiatives, but the absence of a central coordinating structure had resulted in fragmented efforts.

The newly approved framework, he said, would address the problem by creating an inter-ministerial platform through which government institutions could harmonise their activities.

“This is an inter-ministerial platform that will coordinate every initiative and effort relating to bioenergy,” Udeh said.

He added that the arrangement would reduce duplication, improve coordination and ensure that government interventions were aligned with a common national strategy.

Plan targets energy access, sufficiency

The minister said the central objective of the bioenergy strategy was to expand energy access, improve supply and reinforce Nigeria’s energy security.

“The target is to utilise bioenergy to improve energy access and sufficiency in Nigeria. This is consistent with the administration’s renewed focus on addressing the country’s energy deficit,” he said.

He said the development of bioenergy could also create new investment opportunities while stimulating activities across the agricultural, manufacturing and technology sectors.

The government, according to him, intends to leverage international expertise and capital to develop commercially viable projects capable of converting biological resources into energy.

Udeh said the Nigeria Biotechnology Partnership would complement the bioenergy plan by providing Nigeria with greater access to international collaborations and technical expertise.

The partnership is also expected to strengthen domestic capacity and encourage foreign and local investors to participate in the development of Nigeria’s biotechnology and bioenergy industries.

Council updates biotechnology policy

In another major development, the council approved the Revised National Biotechnology Policy 2026, replacing the country’s first national biotechnology policy adopted in 2001.

Udeh said the original policy had provided the framework for biotechnology development in Nigeria for the past 25 years and supported progress across several sectors.

“You will recall that Nigeria, through FEC approval in 2001, published its first National Biotechnology Policy, which has served the country for the last 25 years,” he said.

According to the minister, Nigeria has recorded significant developments in areas including biomanufacturing, gene editing, agriculture, healthcare and industrial production under the earlier framework.

However, he said rapid changes in global biotechnology and developments within Nigeria had created the need for a new policy capable of addressing emerging opportunities and challenges.

He explained that stakeholders across the sector had participated in reviewing, drafting and validating the revised policy before it was presented to the council for approval.

New policy targets emerging technologies

The revised biotechnology policy is expected to provide a fresh roadmap for research, development, commercialisation and application of biotechnology across key areas of the Nigerian economy.

Among the priority areas identified under the new framework are climate-smart technologies, precision agriculture, advanced manufacturing, gene editing and genomics.

The policy will also focus on applications of biotechnology in medicine and healthcare, with the government seeking to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to develop and apply modern scientific technologies to national challenges.

Udeh said the policy was designed to bridge the gap between scientific research and commercial production.

This, he explained, would ensure that discoveries and innovations emerging from Nigerian universities and research institutions could be developed into commercially viable products and services.

Government links science to economic growth

The minister said the revised policy would also help transform scientific innovations into jobs, investment opportunities and practical solutions to developmental challenges.

He stressed that Nigeria could derive greater economic value from its biological resources if the country developed the necessary scientific, technical and commercial capacity.

According to him, the government intends to position science, technology and innovation as key instruments for solving national problems and supporting economic growth.

The twin approvals on bioenergy and biotechnology therefore mark a broader attempt by the administration to link Nigeria’s scientific resources with its energy and economic development objectives.

By creating a coordinated framework for bioenergy development, expanding international biotechnology partnerships and updating the country’s biotechnology policy after 25 years, the government is seeking to build a system in which research, investment and innovation can translate into energy, jobs and commercially viable industries.