Dr. Iziaq Salako, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Environment says that the West African oil and gas-rich country is committed to ending gas flaring by 2030.
Speaking in Abuja at the inaugural workshop on quarterly reporting of utilization efforts and initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions, Dr. Salako highlighted the country’s progress and ongoing challenges.
Dr. Salako cited data indicating that from 2016 to the present, 1.621 billion metric tonnes of gas, valued at $5.654 billion, have been flared. This flaring has released approximately 86 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) and 31.3 million tonnes of methane into the atmosphere, contributing significantly to environmental degradation.
To address this, Dr. Salako emphasized the Ministry’s determination to change this trajectory in line with Nigeria’s commitment to ending gas flaring by 2030. He called for the cooperation of all stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, particularly in the upstream sector, to achieve this goal.
Efforts by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) have led to the development of a mechanism for verifying gas flared volumes, enhancing accountability and revenue generation within the sector. Dr. Salako advocated for a Hybrid Emissions Data Gathering Approach, combining satellite and ground-based data to ensure accurate and reliable emission reports.
In his remarks, outgoing NOSDRA Director-General Idris Musa highlighted the agency’s efforts to combat oil and gas pollution since its inception. He pointed to the Nigerian Gas Flare Tracker (NGFT) as a key technological advancement, which identifies and quantifies gas flare emissions, providing invaluable data and insights for informed decision-making by government agencies.
