Potential of sugarcane bagasse as feedstock for biogas production in Nigeria

Abstract The Nigerian government’s interest in expanding the sugar sector has significantly increased sugarcane production, generating substantial bagasse by‐products without adequate waste management strategies. This study examined the potential of sugarcane bagasse as a biogas feedstock by integrating a socioeconomic survey of 120 sugarcane farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria, and laboratory anaerobic digestion experiments. The survey revealed that 74.2% of farmers expressed willingness to adopt biogas technology, significantly influenced by educational level (odds ratio (OR) = 7.08), perception (OR = 12.72) and farming experience (OR = 1.12), whereas age had a negative effect (OR = 0.94). In laboratory experiments, anaerobic digestion of bagasse alone yielded a maximum methane content of 53.7%, while co‐digestion with cow manure reached 53.8%, although statistical analysis indicated no significant difference ( P = 0.841) in cumulative biogas production between these treatments. These findings highlight the necessity for targeted policy interventions, including farmer education and youth engagement, to enhance biogas technology adoption and efficient utilization of sugarcane bagasse, contributing toward sustainable energy generation and improved waste management in Nigeria.