By Osamudiamen Idemudia
Stakeholders in the energy sector have called for a robust methane emissions framework to address technical and regulatory gaps across the oil and gas value chain.
The stakeholders who made this known at a Multi-stakeholders’ Dialogue workshop in Abuja, said unchecked oil and gas sector methane emissions threaten to exacerbate the climate change crisis, harm community health and safety, and also undermine Nigeria’s capacity to trade in the global market and leverage the proceeds to sustain its economy.
In a welcome Address, the Director of Programs, Center for Journalism Innovation and Development, CJID, Mr Akintunde Babatunde said the Energy Transition Plan aims to achieve net zero by 2060, by focusing on reducing emissions across five critical sectors and leveraging gas as a transition fuel.
Mr Babatunde noted that methane emissions, which are 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over twenty years, must be rigorously managed through regulatory reforms and energy-efficient technologies.
“Nigeria’s commitment to a just energy transition is unwavering, as reflected in our consent to the Paris Agreement and the ambitious goals outlined in our national policies. Our Nationally Determined Contribution, the 2050 Long-Term Vision for Nigeria, and the Energy Transition Plan articulate clear pathways for transitioning from a fossil fuel-driven economy to a low-carbon one.”
In a brief presentation by the senior officer, Natural Resource Governance Institute, NRGI, Tengi George-lkoli, Nigeria’s methane emissions pose significant threats to environmental health and safety, exacerbating the impact of climate change.
“Methane not only contribute to global warming but also interacts with other atmospheric processes to create harmful effects. Methane emissions contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, a hazardous air pollutant and greenhouse gas. This photochemical smog formation, resulting from the reaction of methane and other volatile organic compounds with nitrogen oxide under sunlight, can damage the ecosystem and lead to respiratory problems in humans.”
For the program officer, NRGI, Ahmad Abdulsamad the impact of methane emissions is particularly severe for Nigerian’s oil and gas-producing communities, which are at the forefront of climate change vulnerability.
These communities he said face heightened risk from extreme weather events, desertification, flooding and sea encroachment.
The Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji said effective mitigation measures are not only environmentally responsible but also economically beneficial for all stakeholders.
Dr Ogbonnaya Orji noted that Reducing Emissions enables oil and gas companies to improve operational efficiency, minimize revenue losses from gas flaring, and enhance their competitiveness in the global market.
The Stakeholders dialogue workshop was organized by the Natural Resource Governance Institute, NRGI, in partnership with the Center for Journalism Innovation and Development, CJID, with the theme, “Strengthening Methane Emission Reduction Strategies in Nigeria’s Gas Expansion Plans”.
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