By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Federal Government has warned International Oil Companies (IOC) for ignoring government’s directive regarding gas flare transparency and accountability.
The Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako, gave this warning at the Third National Extractives Dialogue 2024 (NED2024) held in Abuja.
Salako expressed deep concern that while a few international Oil Companies (IOC) and other operators are heeding the call for gas flare transparency and accountability, most others are not responding at the scale expected.
The minister stated that NOSDRA has developed a mechanism for fact-checking gas flared volumes, quantifying CO2 emission, computes the economic value and power generation potential thus enhancing stewardship and accountability within the sector.
“I commend the organisation for such initiatives like the NGFT which is crucial to Nigeria’s meeting her net-zero emission target by 2060. NOSDRA as a regulator is our police of the environment within the oil and gas sector.
“It is our desire to further strengthen the organisation and integrate it fully into the Hydrocarbon Regulatory Framework of the oil and gas sector so that it will be able to deliver better on its mandate,” he said.
Salako stated that despite the progress being made in tackling gas flaring in Nigeria, the nation is still faced with multifaceted challenges.
The challenges he noted, include a deficit of infrastructure for gas capture, storage and transportation, inadequate regulatory enforcement, inadequate investment, technological gaps and low community involvement.
“The Federal Ministry of Environment through its relevant departments and agencies is determined to work with other stakeholders through policy and regulatory strengthening, investment drive, technology transfer, private sector mobilization. capacity building, community engagement and other measures to turn the tide and put our country on a firm footing to end gas flaring as early as possible but not later than 2030,” he noted.
The event with the theme, ‘Gas Flare Reduction: Catalyst for Accelerating Nigeria’s Path to Net-Zero Emissions and Sustainable Development’ was attended by experts and players in the industry. READ ALSO:
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He described the neglect to the call made by National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) by the oil companies as a disregard for Nigeria’s environmental sustainability agenda.
“Let me therefore use this platform to issue a strong warning that the federal ministry of environment acting on its mandate to secure a quality environment conducive for good health and well being of fauna and flora will no longer tolerate such disregard for the legitimate call of NOSDRA.
“Operators in the Nigerian oil and gas sector have a responsibility to lead from the front to support the vision of Nigeria to end gas flaring not just in the interest of the country but in the overall interest of our planet,” he said.
