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The import/export imbalance regarding the consumption & production of sugar-based products in Nigeria is representative of a larger issue regarding food production within the country. A dependence on the petroleum industry has created an economic imbalance, and the country imports a large amount of food products that were either formerly produced in-state, or that have the potential for cultivation.

Increased sugar cane production is an option that presupposes my proposal. There is an exceptional potential with the sugar cane plant to do more than simply improve the sugar self-sufficiency of the Nigerian people. I see the most exciting opportunity in the area of research surrounding the development of uses for the “waste” material that is produced in the cane crushing process, which is commonly known as “bagasse.”

This plant material can be transformed into a number of useful products – including, but not limited to: paper products, biofuels, plastic alternatives, and textiles.

In this study I was intrigued by the potential for combining the sugar cane bagasse fibers with cotton fibers to produce a textile that would be utilized by a design & research facility – to be located on the coast of the Apapa Port in Lagos. Continue reading →