Stakeholders in the environmental sector have called for urgent action to reduce methane emissions in the country to enhance environmental sustainability.
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and short-lived climate pollutant, primarily emitted by human activities.
The Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji spoke at a multi-stakeholder dialogue on Tuesday in Abuja.
The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), in partnership with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), organised the event.
The dialogue was tagged “Strengthening Methane Emissions Reduction Strategies in Nigeria’s Gas Expansion Plans.”
Orji said that the government must ensure robust frameworks and policies that hold oil and gas companies accountable, while civil society organisations must continue to monitor and advocate for environmental sustainability.
“We all need to recognise the urgency of addressing methane emissions within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
“Nigerian communities will also benefit from cleaner air and improved health outcomes; to achieve this audacious emission reduction goal, collaboration is crucial.
“As Nigeria expands her gas use, so does the potential for increase in methane emissions, a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than carbon.”
Orji warned such expansion of the use of gas posed a challenge for Nigeria in meeting its global and national commitments to reducing methane emissions.
“Effective mitigation measures are not only environmentally responsible but also economically beneficial for all stakeholders.”
Orji said there was a need to reduce methane emissions in Nigeria to align with international best practices and standards.
“These guidelines provide a robust framework for companies to measure, report, and reduce their emissions, ensuring they meet the highest levels of environmental performance,” he said.
In his opening remarks, the Director of Programmes, CJID, Akintunde Babatunde said that Nigeria’s commitment to a just energy transition was unwavering.
“Our Nationally Determined Contribution, the 2050 Long-Term Vision for Nigeria and the Energy Transition Plan all articulate clear pathways for transitioning from a fossil fuel-driven economy to a low-carbon one.
“These plans are not merely aspirations but concrete steps toward achieving a sustainable future for our nation,” Babatunde said.
On her part, the Senior Officer NRGI, Tengi George-Ikoli said that unchecked oil and gas sector methane emissions threatened to exacerbate the climate change crisis.
According to her, such actions undermine Nigeria’s capacity to trade in the global market and leverage the proceeds to sustain its economy.
“Nigeria, with the world’s ninth-largest gas reserves, is a major methane emitter, accounting for 16 per cent of sub-Saharan African methane emissions from 2010 to 2020,” she said.
NAN
