Before 1970, ethanol grades for beverage and industrial purposes were generally produced in Nigeria by fermentation of sugar sourced from starch or cellulose, maize, guinea corn (sorghum), millet and other starchy substrates. During this period, there was no serious business motive for producing fuel ethanol grade. By 1972, the Federal Government of Nigeria received a business proposal from Volgelbutsch of Austria to make use of the waste cane molasses from the premier sugar company, Nigerian Sugar Company, in Bacita, Kwara State, to produce ethanol.

In 1973, Nigerian Yeast and Alcohol Manufacturing Plc (NIYAMCO) was commissioned to tap and use the cane molasses from this sugar company to produce ethanol. This ethanol was to be used for both beverage and industrial purposes and never as fuel. Today, the entire world is worried by the serious environmental effects and health problems (popularly referred to as global warming) posed by the petrol additive called methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). This is well documented in the 2000 Kyoto, Japan agreement, of which Nigeria is signatory, instructing countries of the world to take the issue of global warming more seriously. UN Report on the effect of climate change in Nigeria shows that; 13 million people are at risk, 35% of the Delta Lost, 27 million people displaced (0.5mm rise) 48million people displaced at (1 mm rise), entire Ikoyi and Victoria Island on the risk of loss, Lake on the risk of drying up, desertation comsumes 70% of Savannah Regions.

2. Definitions

Ethanol

Ethanol is the end result of a process of fermentation of molasses and cellulose. Ethanol can be derived from various raw materials such as grains, sugar cane, biomass and recently sweet sorghum.

Sweet, Sweet” Sorghum

‘Sweet’ varieties of sorghum store large quantities of energy as sugar in their stalks, while also producing reasonable grain yields. Before now, the major use for the stalk of sorghum for domestic purposes such as fencing and hut construction. What is not used for these purposes was usually left to rot away in farms or burnt.

3. Ethanol Project In Nigeria

Most of the fuel ethanol around the world is produced from the molasses left over from the refining of sugar from sugarcane, but the supply of molasses is insufficient and not reliable enough for costly ethanol production facilities that need to keep working around the clock to pay off. Recent emphasis has shifted to the use of cassava and maize. Both of these crops are major food staples for Nigeria’s farm families. The constraint therefore is not the cost of ethanol production; it is the supply of raw materials for its production. We, at Global Biofuels Ltd are excited about the potential of an erstwhile “orphan” crop, sweet sorghum, to help fill this supply gap for raw materials for ethanol production. Sorghum, like sugarcane and maize, exhibits C4 metabolism – making it more efficient at converting atmospheric carbon dioxide into sugar than most plants. As a dryland crop, sorghum requires far less water than costly irrigated sugarcane, making it more accessible to the poor. The juice squeezed out of sweet sorghum stalks contains about 15-20% sugar that can be fermented into ethanol more cheaply than from sugarcane molasses – and with even greater energy savings compared to maize grain, which has to be hydrated and converted from starch to sugar before it can be fermented.

4. The Benefits of Ethanol as Fuel

As shown earlier, nations around he world are looking towards biofuels to help reduce their spiraling oil (hydrocarbon) import costs, and to mitigate pollution and global warming. Developing, manufacturing, building, installing, and maintaining renewable energy technologies, as is the case with fuel ethanol, has the potential to create new Nigeria-led jobs and powerful modern industries. This will not only serve to empower entrepreneurs and companies to help build a vibrant and diverse economy, it is also a wise economic choice for the long term. As fossil fuel depletes, Nigeria will have diverse, dependable energy sources and be able to strategically benefit from our oil resources. There are other benefits of ethanol which are not mentioned in this paper. The main objective of Global Biofuels Ltd fuel ethanol project is to help NNPC and Nigeria achieve the mandatory E10 requirements of the Kyoto Protocol while at the same time positioning the company as a profitable Biofuels producer.

5. Strategic Alliances

Global Biofuels Ltd has strategic alliances with the following organizations; NNPC, IAR, ICRISAT, Rusni, University of Maiduguri, State Governments, Local and International Finance Houses.

6. Conclusion

From the foregoing, to jumpstart the Ethanol Fuel Industry in Nigeria and become one the most recognized supply of Top grade ethanol product, we marking a new beginning for the industry by this ground breaking ceremony. We need beyond this:

• A strong Public-Private Partnership with focus on grassroot development and active involvement of the rural populace.

• A business plan to underpin implementation of the new PPP initiative by NNPC/FMPS, with inputs from all organized private sector Renewable Energy Organizations.

• Financial and Moral support of Federal and State Governments.

• Safe, peaceful and friendly environment.

• Easily accessible basic infrastructures.

• Etc.

The future of Ethanol Fuel is bright, the challenges are great. For accelerated development, there is an urgent need for government, private sector stakeholders and the general public to pool resources together to maximize the gains from the development of the Ethanol Fuel from Sweet Sorghum "goldmine".