Lagos, Oyo partner investors to turn waste into bio-gas, fertilizers

Lagos is working out modalities to convert animal wastes in the state into bio-gas for energy generation. The state is mapping out plans to shore up local fish production in what it believes will shrink the huge sum spent on importation of fish into the country.

About N105 billion naira is said to be spent on importation of fish annually. Gbolahan Lawal, the state commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperative, while briefing journalists last week, disclosed that plans were ongoing to convert animal wastes into bio-gas with three foreign investors already showing interest to partner government to make this a reality. On fish production, Lawal said more fish farm estates were being established to complement existing ones- designed to meet up with the planned increased fish production.

These according to him include the 400- Plot Ketu-Ereyun Fish Farm Estate with the capacity to produce about 10,000 tons of fish per annum had been laid out and allocations made to the first 162 investors.

Also to fill the existing gap in local fish production, the state, he said is further intensifying production through Odongunyan Fish farm Estates in Ikorodu. According to the commissioner, “At present, the state produces 60 percent of the fish consumed here.

And it would be intensified by reviewing the land allocation given to allottees who are yet to move in and commence production. “And to do this, we have set up a committee to review this and in the next two months, any allottee who fails to move to the estate, the committee will revoke the land and would allocate it to those who are ready to commence production immediately.”

In Oyo, the government is partnering private investors in converting the over 6,000 tons of refuse being generated daily in the state into organic fertilizers and electricity generation. Kazeem Adedeji for Trade and Investment said the project would be executed through Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, adding that many investors had shown interest in the project. “In the next few months, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed on a PPP arrangement,” he said.