United States and Nigerian experts have proposed converting cassava wastewater into biogas and other useful resources as a sustainable solution to the environmental challenges associated with cassava processing and Nigeria’s energy needs.

According to the experts, cassava effluent, which is often discharged around processing centres without adequate treatment, could contaminate nearby streams and other water bodies, but its biodegradable components could also be harnessed to produce renewable energy.

An Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Health and Technical Director, Renewable Resources Centre, University of Ibadan, Prof. Taiwo Hammed, who spoke at a U.S.-Nigeria Transdisciplinary Workshop, themed, ‘From Cassava Effluent to Energy,’ at the University of Ibadan, said cassava wastewater could serve as feedstock for biogas production when properly managed.

Hammed explained that its effectiveness depends on the type and quantity of feedstock, retention time, temperature and the balance of nutrients required by microorganisms to break down organic matter.

He said cassava wastewater could be combined with materials such as cow dung to introduce the microorganisms needed to facilitate digestion and improve gas production, stressing that excessive water should be avoided to maintain the appropriate concentration for efficient methane production.

According to him, the biogas generated could be used for lighting and heating, while the residual slurry could be processed into solid and liquid fertiliser, creating additional value from cassava waste and reducing the quantity discharged into the environment.

An environmental sustainability researcher, Dr. Foluke Olatoye, said the initiative was conceived after researchers encountered challenges associated with cassava wastewater during a previous collaborative learning exercise with processors.

Olatoye explained that the wastewater was being discharged into the environment, with the potential to enter nearby streams and other water bodies and cause contamination.

She said the challenge was examined through the Water-Energy-Food Nexus, which considers the interconnection between water resources, energy production and food systems, noting that researchers also identified the potential of converting the wastewater into biogas.

Olatoye said using the energy generated within cassava-processing hubs could improve productivity, increase food availability and strengthen livelihoods.

Also, Dr. Oluwaseun Bamigboye of the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti, said using energy generated from cassava wastewater within processing hubs could improve productivity, increase food availability and strengthen livelihoods.

The three-day workshop, supported by the SustainFood Network, brought together researchers from Nigeria and the U.S., early-career researchers, cassava processors and government stakeholders, including representatives of the Oyo State Ministries of Energy and Environment, the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, Prof. Laura Schmitt of Michigan State University, Matt Steiman of Pennsylvania State University, Prof. Ogunwande, Engr. Jagaba of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, and U.S. co-organisers, Dr. Jafaru Egieya of Texas A&M University and Paige Price of Pennsylvania State University, to strengthen research collaboration and develop practical approaches to converting cassava effluent into renewable energy and other useful resources within the Water-Energy-Food Nexus.