Production of Biogas from Co-digestion of Cow Dung and Food Waste in Maiduguri, Borno State

Energy poverty and biomass waste management challenges in Maiduguri, North East Nigeria, create opportunities for community-scale biogas systems based on abundant local feedstocks. This study evaluates the methane yield from anaerobic co-digestion of cow dung and market food waste at different mixing ratios in laboratory-scale batch digesters operated at mesophilic temperatures. Cow dung was sourced from the Maiduguri Monday Market livestock section, and food waste was collected from vendors in the Baga Road market. Co-digestion experiments were conducted at cow dung-to-food waste ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100 on a volatile solids basis, with hydraulic retention times of 30 days. Daily biogas production, cumulative methane yield, pH, and volatile fatty acid concentrations were monitored throughout digestion. Results showed that the 50:50 co-digestion ratio produced the highest cumulative methane yield of 312 mL/g volatile solids added, exceeding mono-digestion of cow dung alone (198 mL/g) and food waste alone (241 mL/g). The 50:50 ratio maintained stable pH between 6.8 and 7.2 throughout digestion, indicating process stability. The synergistic effect of nutrient balance between the two substrates is identified as the primary driver of enhanced performance. The study supports community biogas plant development in Borno State using livestock and market waste, contributing to clean cooking energy access in the North East zone. Keywords: biogas, anaerobic co-digestion, cow dung, food waste, Maiduguri