Civil society organisations (CSOs) have called for stricter enforcement of Nigeria’s methane emissions regulations in the Niger Delta, warning that weak implementation of existing laws continues to expose oil-producing communities to serious environmental, health and economic risks.

The groups, including the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), Policy Alert and We The People, made the call during a webinar organised to amplify advocacy around ‘Flaring Lives’, a documentary highlighting the human cost of methane emissions and gas flaring in Nigeria’s Niger Delta.

The webinar, themed: “Leveraging Media Storytelling to Strengthen Accountability and Enforcement on Methane Emissions,” sought to to raise awareness of the environmental, health and socio-economic consequences of methane emissions and gas flaring in the oil-rich region.

Speaking at the event, NRGI Country Manager, Tengi George-Ikoli, stressed that while Nigeria seeks to expand gas production as part of its energy and economic strategy, it must simultaneously meet its commitments to reduce methane emissions, eliminate routine gas flaring and support global climate objectives.

Represented by the Programme Officer, NGRI, Ahmad Abdulsamad, she argued that the challenge lies in ensuring that both ambitions are pursued without sacrificing environmental sustainability and the wellbeing of host communities.

She noted that methane emissions are not merely a climate issue for communities living around oil and gas facilities, but are linked to the quality of air they breathe, public health concerns, declining agricultural productivity and the degradation of fishing waters.

George-Ikoli acknowledged that Nigeria had made progress in recent years through the introduction of methane regulations, reporting requirements and improved emissions disclosures by companies. However, she pointed out that the real test lies in implementation and enforcement.

“Progress on paper is not the same as progress in practice. The real test lies in implementation. Are commitments being met? Are emissions being measured accurately? Are regulations being enforced consistently? And most importantly, are the experiences of affected communities reflected in the decisions being made?” she said.

The NRGI official called for stronger and more consistent enforcement of regulations, insisting that compliance can only be achieved when there are clear consequences for violations.

In addition, George-Ikoli urged oil and gas companies to move beyond disclosure and take concrete steps to reduce emissions, while calling for accelerated implementation of the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP) to ensure more associated gas is captured for productive use instead of being flared.

Also speaking, Executive Director of Policy Alert, Tijah Bolton-Akpan, described gas flaring in the Niger Delta as a long-standing environmental injustice that has persisted for more than six decades.

According to him, communities in the region continue to suffer respiratory illnesses, contaminated farmlands, declining fish stocks and worsening climate impacts as a result of unchecked flaring and methane emissions.

“For decades, gas flaring, venting, and fugitives have been treated as an acceptable cost of doing business, while the communities living in their shadow are treated as collateral. That view must change,” he said.

Bolton-Akpan challenged journalists and media organisations to intensify investigations into methane emissions and gas flaring, urging them to hold government institutions and industry players accountable for compliance failures.

Communications Lead for Africa at NRGI, Damilare Ogunmowo, also underscored the critical role of journalists in promoting accountability, encouraging media practitioners to make greater use of publicly available data and information to scrutinise government and industry performance on methane emissions.

Earlier, the Executive Director of Extractive360, Juliet Ukanwosu, said the programme was to increase awareness of the impacts of methane emissions and gas flaring on affected communities as well as facilitate discussion on enforcement gaps and opportunities for accountability.

Besides, she stressed that it would explore how journalists and media organisations can use the documentary to strengthen reporting and advocacy on methane emissions and environmental justice. (THISDAY)

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