Economic Potential and Benefits of Sawdust in Nigeria

At present, the main conventional source of energy used all over the world is the fossil fuels which are non-renewable and hence their deposits will eventually be exhausted. Wood is one of the oldest fuel sources known to man. Research have shown that about 80 million cubic metres, equivalent to 43.4 x 109 kg (or 43.4 million tonnes) of fuel wood with an average daily consumption ranging from 0.5- 1.0 kg of dry fuel wood per person is being consumed in the country annually for cooking and other domestic heating purposes. This study discusses the quantity of wood waste generated in saw mills in Nigeria. The environmental implications of improper disposal of sawdust arising from sawmills are also analyzed. Essentially, the economic potential of sawdust is discussed. It was revealed that saw dust waste left at the saw mills causes aesthetic problems while abandonment along the road side causes air pollution as a result of wind which often blows and suspends the wood dusts into the atmosphere.