By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Federal Government said it is on course to ensure gas flaring in the country ends by latest 2030, hence it will be commencing the periodic review of the plans of International and indigenous Oil Companies to ensure they stay on course.
The Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako stated this on Tuesday at the National Stakeholders Engagement on Methane Mitigation and Reduction in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Sector, spearheaded by the Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI) in collaboration with the Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment with the support of Environment and Climate Change Canada.
He said “Research confirms that the concentration of methane in the atmosphere is currently around two-and-a-half times greater than pre-industrial levels and is increasing steadily. This rise has important adverse implications for our environment, our climate, social, economic and physical health
“As an example, a number of the security challenges being currently faced in our country are traceable to global warming and will therefore not be solved through arms and ammunition alone but by also addressing the poverty and loss of livelihoods induced by climate change.
“Although green house gas emissions are also known to come from other sources such as coal burning and bioenergy, oil and gas operations appears to the largest source of emissions from the energy sector. As we tackle all sources of methane emissions arising from human activity, we therefore need to beam our focus more on emissions from oil and gas operations.
“Methane, with its potent warming capability and harmful effects on both climate and human health, demands urgent attention. Nigeria as a leading oil and gas producer in Africa, recognizes its responsibility to take decisive action in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane
“Within the oil and gas sector, practical steps are being taken to address methane emissions. Collaborative efforts of government institutions have led to the development of methane guidelines. In addition, the Federal Ministry of Environment through the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) will be commencing the periodic review of the plans of International and indigenous Oil Companies to ensure they stay on course to end routine gas flaring by latest 2030.
In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Adam Kambari said methane emissions is one of the pressing environmental challenges in the Oil and Gas sector.
“This engagement serves as a strategic platform for stakeholders from various sectors – government, private sector. academia, NGO’s/civil society, and international organizations – to exchange insights, share best practices, and chart a course towards effective methane mitigation and reduction strategies.”
