Civil society, and industry have called for stronger regulatory coordination and accelerated action on methane abatement in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
They made the call at the Methane Emission Abatement in the Oil and Gas Industry Regulatory Dialogue organised by the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) and other partners in Abuja.
The SDN Country Director, Mrs Florence Ibok-Abasi, said the gathering marked a turning point in efforts to harmonise regulatory approaches, describing collaboration as critical to achieving meaningful climate outcomes.
Ibok-Abasi said the dialogue was the first of two, adding that a second dialogue would be reconvened to advance initiatives and collaboration that would ensure improvement of methane abatement in the oil and gas sector.
Also, Head of Environment and Climate Change, SDN, Dr Jude Samuelson, highlighted methane reduction as one of the fastest and most effective strategies for tackling climate change globally.
Samuelson noted that the initiative was therefore designed to ensure regulators and operators work hand in hand to deliver measurable results.
However, he identified the high cost of methane abatement technologies as a major constraint, calling for stronger government-industry partnerships to make such solutions more accessible and scalable in Nigeria.
The Technical Advisor on Health, Safety, Environment and Community, to Mr Saidu Mohammed, Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Odafe Atebe, highlighted the need for methane abatement.
Atebe described methane abatement as a cost-effective pathway for Nigeria to achieve climate goals without compromising energy security.
“Fragmented approaches will not deliver the scale of impact required. We must move beyond discussions to coordinated action across the entire oil and gas value chain,” he said.
Similarly, Senior Manager, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Ibrahim Jilo, noted that while progress has been made, challenges remain in ensuring compliance across a diverse and evolving industry landscape.
Jilo emphasised the importance of tailored approaches, capacity building, and sustained engagement with operators.