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The founder and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Shashawat Jatropha Biodiesel Ltd, Timi Simpson, retired recently from the Lagos State civil service solely for the purpose of pursuing his passionate desire to turn-around President Obama’s new US energy policy from a threat to Nigeria’s national economic interest to golden opportunities for Nigeria to tremendously benefit from. In line with this resolve, Simpson teamed up with individuals of like minds to make this dream a reality. For example, Mr. Simpson and his other patriotic young enterprising partners have been able to enlarge their business cycle to include other patriotic social entrepreneurs both at home and in Diaspora.
At the moment, according to Mr. Simpson, they have successfully got retired Colonel Abubakar Umar (Dangiwa) to serve as their Chairman/”champion of change” to midwife this endeavour. According to the promoters of this visionary enterprise, Col. Dangiwa is a progressive and patriotic social enterprising modern farmer. This they consider as strategic and an integral part of their national mobilization for promotion and development of Jatropha-based biodiesel in Nigeria.
The ambitious game-plan of Shashwat Jatropha Ltd is to secure up to 1,000, 000 hectares of marginal, waste and or degraded lands (i.e. lands no longer suitable for growing arable crops) in the northern part of Nigeria (i.e. 50, 000 hectare each from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This is in addition to engaging small and medium scale peasant farmers using their own marginal fields as commercial energy crop agriculturalists.
The main purpose is to commercially plant Jatropha Curcas seeds and cuttings (primary biodiesel feedstock). Jatropha Curcas plant is one of the popular emerging energy crops that can be converted into sustainable commercial “green biodiesel fuel”. According to industry sources, using biodiesel requires no major changes to either existing diesel engines or to the current distribution infrastructure of storage tanks and petrol stations that delivers conventional diesel fuel to consumers.
Therefore, the company’s strategic medium plan is to establish one Jatropha seeds processing plant/bio-diesel refinery in each of the 19 northern states and the FCT. While the long term plan is to ensure that each of the local government areas in this region has at least one Jatropha seeds proceeding plant and or a biodiesel refinery, thereby building a national Jatropha “green belt” and network that will turn president Obama’s new US energy policy from a threat to Nigeria’s economic wellbeing into an alternative source of revenue and “clean green energy” in the coming years.
Already, the company has initiated talks with two northern states governors: Kebbi and Jigawa states respectively. The company is working towards getting all the 19 northern states Governors and the Hon. Minister of the FCT on board in this initiative. In addition, the company has approached some corporate stakeholders such as the Renewable Energy Division (RED) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and some financial institutions. The Universities are also not left out. For example, the company has initiated discussions regarding possible collaboration and partnership in biodiesel Research and Development (R&D) with the Sokoto Energy Research Centre, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and the Department of Chemistry (with Professor Zuru, the Petroleum Technology Fund (PTDF) endowed Professorial Chair in Petroleum Chemistry) – all of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto.
According to Mr. Simpson, his company is presently finalizing efforts to initiate talks with other strategic stakeholders such as the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), the Raw Material Research and Development Council (RMDC), Ministries of Science and Technology and Agriculture and Water Resources respectively.
Simpson’s efforts regarding this endeavour have also extended to the international arena. For example, according to him, his company has already opened fruitful communication channels with some foreign technical experts and “green energy” investors and Nigerians in Diaspora. Specifically, a Scientific and Technical Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been finalized with a leading Indian Jatropha Seeds Research and Development centre.
In addition, Dr. Lee Barnes, an African-American investment promoter/consultant has agreed to work with Sashwat Jatropha Biodiesel Ltd particularly in the areas of sourcing for foreign technical partners and financial intermediation. Furthermore, Diaspora Nigerians providing technical and scientific advising to this venture include Engineer M. U Dikko (a Petroleum Engineer working for a major international oil company in the United States); David Benjamin (a Computer/Information Technology (IT) Engineer based in Dallas, USA) and Mallam Aminu Musa (an Agricultural Scientist working for a County government in the United States).
When all these efforts been carried out under the energetic and passionate leadership of Mr. Simpson are completed and replicated by others, Nigeria will definitely be counted among the nations that will play a leading role in reaping the yet untapped golden opportunities provided by “green fuels”, thus turning a “threat” to Nigeria’s national economic interest to a “green gold” Cash Cow for the nation.
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In conclusion therefore, it is in light of this futuristic vision that the recent pronouncement by President Yar Adua regarding the implementation of his land reform programme promised almost two years ago is a welcome and timely development. Hence, the amendment Bill to the National Assembly to alter the Land Use Act of 1978 should give consideration to this futuristic vision as well.
Furthermore, Nigeria’s Agricultural, Energy and Science and Technology policies should be amended to incorporate this futuristic sustainable energy vision because it will have a positive and direct impact on economic growth, energy security and poverty reduction in the country.
Above, all, Jatropha seeds are potential exportable biofuel feedstock and thus should be incorporated into the government planned five agro-export conditioning centres under construction for handling of key agro-export commodities in which the country has comparative advantage. Nigeria being an agricultural country with vast land that can be used in non-edible oil seed production and processed into biodiesel will give a new alternative energy agro-industrial economy to the farmers. Keeping in view of the depletion of fossil fuels, Nigeria can garner a large amount of foreign exchange by effective promotion and development of biodiesel production. Mr. Simpson and Shashwat Jatropha Biodiesel Ltd need the encouragement and support of all the three tiers of Nigerian government and other stakeholders in making this national vision a resounding reality, soonest.
