Dr. Omotayo Dairo, founder of Quintas Renewable Energy Solutions, has called for a decisive shift in Nigeria’s energy transition policy; one that embraces biomass integration to power rural industries, boost agricultural value addition, and drive inclusive economic growth.
Speaking in Lagos during the 2025 International Conference of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Associations Alliance (REEEAA), Dairo warned that Nigeria’s overwhelming focus on solar photovoltaics (PV) has left a critical gap in productive-use energy delivery, particularly in rural communities.
“There are at least eight forms of renewable energy, yet the government’s attention is almost entirely fixated on one — solar PV,” he observed. “Solar cannot meet Nigeria’s industrial heating needs, which account for over 80 percent of energy use in some economies. Biomass can.”
He maintained that integrating biomass solutions into the national energy transition plan could raise agriculture’s contribution to GDP from the current 26 percent to as high as 35–40 percent within five years.
Dairo — a seasoned medical doctor turned renewable energy entrepreneur — said that while the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has made significant progress through more than 200 off-grid projects nationwide, a structural gap persists: the lack of productive-use energy that drives rural industrialization and value retention at the community level.
“Biomass has the potential to transform rural economies. When farmers can process what they grow at the village level, income stays within the community, post-harvest losses reduce, and new rural industries emerge,” he explained.
Through Quintas Renewable Energy’s rural intervention model, the company is establishing biomass-powered agro-processing pilot centers across semi-rural areas to demonstrate viability and attract impact investors who can finance the equipment while allowing smallholder farmers to reap the benefits.
“Farmers are not our primary customers; they are our impact point,” Dairo said. “Investors buy the equipment, but the benefits go directly to farmers. For instance, cassava — which has a shelf life of five days — can be processed into Garri and stored for up to 18 months.”
He added that decentralizing processing at the village level would reduce transport costs, cut post-harvest losses, and retain income within local economies — ultimately improving food security and reducing poverty.
Dairo further argued that diversifying Nigeria’s renewable energy portfolio to include biomass aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 13), linking energy access, food systems, industry, and climate action.
“We are asking government to integrate biomass into the energy transition plan. This shift would support value addition, create rural jobs, and address multiple SDGs,” he added.
A septuagenarian, Dr. Dairo’s focus has turned toward knowledge transfer and youth mentorship. In partnership with the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) — a Chevron-backed social enterprise — Quintas Renewable Energy will train and mentor 30 young Nigerians in renewable energy systems and sustainable entrepreneurship.
“What took me 30 years to learn, I can teach in six months,” he said. “My goal now is to ensure the next generation inherits not just technology, but the mindset to build a cleaner, smarter Nigeria.”
For Dr. Dairo, the message is clear and urgent: Nigeria’s rural transformation depends on broadening its energy mix. Biomass, he insists, remains the missing link between the nation’s agricultural potential and its industrial aspirations.
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