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About one Billion Naira has been earmarked by the Federal Government for the dredging and removal of Typha grass that has taken over the wetlands around the Hadejia River that passed through Jigawa, Yobe, Kano, Bauchi and Plateau states.
Don't just evacuate it. Put it to use. This problematic weed is an excellent source of biomass. If the water and soil it is grown in is clean, it is also an excellent source of food. It is wonderful to see that Africa is starting to wake up to this problem. This weed is causing trouble in almost every country in Africa, when it could be a major resource. Clearing Typha will also help you control malaria and many other problems. But it will be easier to finance and sustain if you take the available profit in fuel and food. Harvesting this plant for food is quite labor intensive, but it has a very high yield per hectare and costs nothing to grow. While you're at it, don't overlook the reed Phragmites. There are many places where it is the problem rather than Typha. It is less suitable for food (at least to the primitive technologies I know - those of stone-aged Indians and runaway teen-aged boys)but just as productive for fuel. Both can be made into ethanol or charcoal or fuel gas, and there is always a market for them.
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