FG warns IOCs against disregarding gas flare directives

The Federal Government, on Wednesday, warned International Oil Companies operating in Nigeria to desist from disregarding gas flare directives of various regulatory agencies in Nigeria.

It stated that though a few IOCs often complied with these directives, most of the oil firms were not complying, stressing that this would not be tolerated.

The Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako, disclosed this in Abuja at the third edition of the National Extractive Dialogue 2024, organised by Spaces-4 -Change, a non-governmental organisation.

He said, “Following my directive to NOSDRA (National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency) in March this year, while a few international oil companies and other operators are heeding the call of the government for gas flare transparency and accountability, most international oil companies are not responding.

“They expect to be called by NOSDRA, which reflects a disregard for Nigeria’s environmental sustainability agenda.”

He said this would not be tolerated, as Nigeria is committed to ending the gas flare, adding that the country has a view date and is working hard to achieve this target.

This, according to the minister, is why the government is imposing penalties on IOCs and other local operators in the oil sector to discourage gas flaring.

Salako told participants at the event that the Federal Government would not tolerate such disregard against gas flare directives, adding that operators have a responsibility to lead from the front and support the vision of Nigeria to end gas flaring.

“Let me, therefore, use this platform to issue a strong warning from the Federal Ministry of Environment, acting on its mandate to secure a quality environment conducive to good health and well-being of flora and fauna, we no longer tolerate such disregard to 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,” the minister declared.

The Executive Director, Spaces-4-Change, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, called for stakeholder collaboration to achieve the net zero target of Nigeria by 2050.

“The stakes are high, gas flaring has far-reaching social, economic, and environmental impacts, particularly on our host communities that are here today. Gas flaring exacerbates global warming. It leads to economic losses, and this squanders our potential power generation capabilities.

“However, it is within our power to change that. By reducing gas flaring, we can significantly cut our carbon emissions, unlock economic value, and foster economic development that benefits all Nigerians.

“Through our collective efforts, we can propel Nigeria towards a sustainable future, ensuring our natural resources are managed responsibly for the benefit of present and future generations,” she stated.

On his part, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Dr Ogbonnaya Orji, said the agency’s latest report on the oil and gas industry revealed that 884 million standard cubic feet of gas flared in 2011 when compared to the 249 mscf flared in 2021.

He said the data collected between 2011 and 2021 shows a decline in flaring by 51.27 per cent of the volume of gas flared.

Orji noted that 9.8 per cent of the gas produced and utilised in 2021 was flared while 55 per cent was sold, indicating that gas flare had reduced by about 50 per cent between 2021 and 2020.

“Although this is a remarkable improvement, we must strive to meet our country’s target of 100 per cent gas flare elimination by 2025 which is just one year away and six years away from the global commitment of 2030,” the NEITI boss stated.