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A local NGO and a community-based organisation (CBO) have joined with researchers
and entrepreneurs from Thailand and the Sustainable Ibadan Project
to install a biogas plant to create a source of inexpensive domestic energy, abate
pollution and mitigate greenhouse gas emission from abattoir effluents.
Environmental pollution caused by abattoir effluents
has become a problem faced by most urban poor
communities. Water contamination and greenhouse
gas emission have a critical impact on human health,
communities, climate, agriculture, potable water supplies
and the ecology of aquatic species that are crucial
sources of food.
There are currently no waste treatment plants for abattoirs
in Nigeria. Moreover, there are no specific environmental
policies and effluent standards for abattoir
waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Legal protection
of water sources is inadequate and poorly enforced.
The partnership project aims to abate pollution and
mitigate greenhouse gas emissions through the
building of a sustainable biogas plant. The plant
treats wastewater from the abattoirs and produces
biogas, below the current market price. Hence it not
only reduces pollution but also provides energy,
liquid fertilizer and nutrient recovery. The pilot
biogas plant will be constructed for the Bodija
Market Abattoir in Ibadan, the largest indigenous city
in Tropical Africa.
Each partner will contribute to a particular stage of
the process. The NGO is the initiator of the project
and is financially accountable. The community-based
organisation engages the local stakeholders, and the
design of the plant is provided by the Thai research
institute. The construction of the plant will be
handled by the NGO using local manpower and materials
for cost effectiveness and development of
human and institutional capacity.
Based on an economic appraisal the biogas plant will
have a productive life of fifteen years and will generate
significant income, returning a profit on investment
within three years. The project is a prototype
that could be replicated across Africa where unabated
abattoir pollution threatens water resources
and citizens’ health, and the need for affordable domestic
energy sources runs high.
