In a bid to reduce emissions, attract foreign investment, and position Nigeria’s petroleum industry for a low-carbon future, the Federal Government has established a Joint Decarbonisation Working Group (JDWG).

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, at the inauguration yesterday in Abuja, explained that the working group was established between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), and representatives from other regulatory agencies.

He said, “Today, decarbonisation has become far more than an environmental obligation, it is now an economic imperative, an investment imperative, a competitiveness imperative.

“If we are to remain a preferred destination for responsible energy investment, we must continue building institutions, policies, and regulatory systems that inspire confidence while preserving our sovereign right to utilise our natural resources for national development.”

Ekpo said the initiative would ensure that Nigeria remains competitive, resilient, and aligned with global climate and sustainable development goals.

According to him, the JDWG was not merely the creation of another committee but the beginning of a coordinated national effort to harness the expertise of government and industry stakeholders in advancing decarbonisation across the sector.

He also noted that Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources remain central to its energy transition plans and would be leveraged to drive industrialisation, expand energy access, create jobs, and improve domestic gas utilisation.

The minister stressed that decarbonisation had become an economic and investment necessity, saying that Nigeria must continue to build policies and regulatory frameworks that inspire investor confidence while preserving its sovereign right to utilise its natural resources for national development.

He stressed that climate action and economic development must go hand in hand, insisting that developing nations should not be compelled to choose between environmental protection and poverty reduction.

While handing down the mandate to members of the committee, he said the JDWG is expected to coordinate methane reduction initiatives, strengthen Measurement, Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MMRV) systems, facilitate access to climate finance and carbon markets, and support the deployment of emissions-reduction technologies across the petroleum industry.

“Nigeria has also continued to engage constructively within the international community on methane reduction.

“Recently, our country expressed support for the United Kingdom-led Global Statement on Reducing Methane Emissions from Fossil Fuel Operations, recognising methane abatement as one of the fastest and most cost-effective opportunities to reduce emissions while preserving energy production,” he added.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Climate Change, Kama Nkemkanma, said lawmakers would enact laws to clean up the industry. (The Sun)

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