This paper presents a detail assessment of energy recovery potential from waste management techniques in
Nigeria. Sources, such as, municipal, industrial, construction and demolition, agricultural, health-care, and
electronic wastes possess the characteristics of being hazardous or non-hazardous, biodegradable or nonbiodegradable,
recyclable or non-recyclable, organic, in-organic, or nuclear. Waste management involves
collection, transportation, processing, disposal or treatment essentially to reduce volume and hazardous effects on
health and the environment through thermal and biological treatments. Waste management techniques in use
include reducing, re-using, landfillilling, composting, anaerobic digestion, mechanical biological treatment (MBT),
incineration, pyrolysis and gasification amongst others. Conventional and alternative means such as diesel/petro
fuelled generators for generating electricity in recent times and in the past in Nigeria are found to be inadequate.
Increasing population and demand for electricity generation, and potential for economy growth is an indication
that waste-to-energy means of electricity generation in Nigeria must be fully explored in line with global practice.
Analysis herein presented shows that for an estimated population of 140,500,000 inhabitants in Nigeria, about
702,500 m
3
/hour landfill gases with 45% methane content can be generated. This is equivalent to 3,161.25 MW of
energy, which may be converted to 1,053.75 MW of electricity