Kogi State to create 84 litres from new biofuel refinery

ANewpact signed by the Kogi State Government, in conjunction with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to create biofuel plants, and refinery in the state, would birth over two million jobs, Governor Yahaya Bello, said Tuesday, in Abuja.

The initiative would produce 84 million litres of biofuel, and yield a cane mill, plus raw and refined Sugar Plant of 126,000 tonnes annually. Bello said: “Over two million citizens and residence of Kogi would have jobs in the state, as a result of this cassava and sugarcane development project that would be feeding the biofuel refinery plant that is coming up.”

According to him, Kogi would become more secure, because the youth would be taken off the streets, while reiterating government’s commitment to providing security and enabling environment for the realisation of the project. Bello, who said the biofuel refinery will be another milestone in the history of the state, said it would be completed in 36 months. He clarified, “We are producing cassava that we could not even consume as a state. Eventually, we would provide enough for the refinery and for consumption in the state.

“From Kogi State, there is no financial commitment so far. However, we are approaching the African Development Bank, where we intend to secure their commitment, and ensure that we have enough funds to develop infrastructure all around Kogi State for the production of cassava for the project.”

The Group Managing Director, NNPC, Maikanti Baru, said the Bagasse cogeneration Plant would also generate 64 Megawatts of power, adding that it would include a carbon dioxide recovery and bottling plant with capacity of 2,000 tonnes yearly. “The Sugarcane Feedstock Plantation would be on a 19,000-hectare, and it would produce animal feeds of 63,000 tonnes per year,” he said.