Experts from civil society organisations operating in Nigeria and across Africa have called for stronger laws and stricter enforcement to curb pervasive methane emissions in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, amid growing health and environmental concerns in the Niger Delta communities.
The call was made on Thursday in Abuja during a closed-door stakeholder dialogue and documentary screening convened by the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).
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At the gathering, the experts warned that methane emissions from Nigeria’s oil and gas industry remain a persistent threat to public health, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability, largely due to weak enforcement and accountability despite existing government commitments.
The documentary, titled “The Human Cost of Methane Emissions in Nigeria’s Niger Delta,” examined the lived experiences of oil-producing communities across Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom states.
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Released by Policy Alert and We The People with support from NRGI, the documentary highlights the struggles of residents grappling with gas flaring and oil spills, underscoring the urgent need to strengthen monitoring, enforcement, and accountability across the sector.
In the film, community members recount rising cases of respiratory illnesses, degraded farmlands, and declining fish stocks—conditions they attribute to prolonged exposure to gas flaring and methane leaks.
Methane and climate concerns
Methane is a colourless, odourless, flammable gas and the primary component of natural gas. Widely used for heating, cooking, and electricity generation, it is also a potent greenhouse gas—more than 28 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.
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According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), methane escapes in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector mainly through intentional venting, inefficient flaring, and leaks from ageing infrastructure.
In 2023, the agency reported that venting and fugitive emissions were major contributors to the high methane intensity of Nigeria’s upstream operations, which it said are roughly double the global industry average.
As part of its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Nigeria has pledged to cut down methane emissions and introduced upstream, midstream, and downstream methane emissions regulations under broader sector reforms following the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act in 2021.
The IEA has indicated that Nigeria has significant potential to cut methane emissions. In 2023, it was estimated that about 67 per cent of Nigeria’s methane emissions could have been avoided at no net cost through the sale of captured gas. This assessment informed government targets to end routine gas flaring by 2030 and reduce fugitive methane emissions by 60 per cent by 2031.
‘Stronger enforcement and accountability needed’
Speaking at the event, the Nigeria Country Manager of NRGI, Tengi George-Ikoli, acknowledged that the government has taken important steps to address methane emissions but stressed that enforcement remains weak.
“What oil and gas-producing communities are experiencing reflects a gap between policy ambition and outcomes on the ground,” she said.
“Nigeria has taken important steps, but the lived reality in many communities shows that methane remains a daily health and livelihood challenge,” she noted.
The groups said the urgency is heightened by the fact that Nigeria accounted for about 16 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa’s methane emissions between 2010 and 2020 and flared over five billion cubic feet of gas in 2023 alone, placing the country among the world’s top gas-flaring nations.
“Nigeria has made important commitments on methane, but without transparency and enforcement, those promises will not deliver results. While continued inaction puts community health and livelihoods at risk, it also threatens Nigeria’s economic future, especially as new EU methane rules raise the bar for market access. Accountability from both regulators and companies is no longer optional,” said Tijah Bolton, Executive Director of Policy Alert.
The organisers said stakeholders remain optimistic that methane reduction is achievable and cost-effective, noting that proven technologies already exist to significantly cut emissions, often at low or no net cost when captured gas is utilised.
“Strengthening monitoring systems, ensuring independent verification and including media communities in oversight will be critical going forward,” said Akintunde Babatunde, Executive Director of CJID.
Also speaking, Felicia Dairo, NAREP/Climate Change Project Manager at CJID, said gaps persist between Nigeria’s climate commitments and realities on the ground.
“Weak monitoring, limited transparency, and insufficient community engagement continue to undermine progress. As a result, communities most affected by methane emissions are often the least heard in decision-making processes that shape their futures,” she said.
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She added: “Today’s conversation is therefore not only about emissions reduction—it is about accountability, equity, and justice. It is about centering human stories alongside scientific evidence, strengthening the role of the media in responsible reporting, and ensuring that policies reflect the voices and needs of those living with the consequences of environmental harm.”
Mrs Dairo urged the government to ensure that methane reduction efforts are not only climate-smart but also people-centred.
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