In 2024, just a year shy of the 2025 gas flare-out target, Nigeria recorded a nine million standard cubic feet increase in gas flaring.
Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) revealed that Nigeria flared approximately 192 million standard cubic feet (MMSCF) of gas in 2024 (7.69%) as against the 183 MMCSF it flared in 2023.
The increase represents a step backwards for a country committed to reducing emissions under the Global Gas Flaring Reduction (GGFR) Partnership.
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Since Nigeria repurposed its Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme in 2022, gas flaring percentages have remained stagnant at 7%.
Volume, on the other hand, has fluctuated from 188 MMCSF in 2022 to 188 MMCSF and then up to 192 MMCSF in 2024. According to the World Bank, Nigeria remains one of the top nine gas-flaring nations globally.
Along with countries like Russia, Iran, Iraq and Venezuela, it contributes to 75% of global gas flaring while accounting for only 46% of global oil production.
In 2023 alone, Nigeria flared an estimated 7.48 billion cubic feet (211.73 million cubic meters) of gas, significantly adding to global emissions.
CONSEQUENCES OF GAS FLARING
Gas flaring has had severe economic and health implications for Nigeria. In 2018, Nigeria lost approximately N233 billion to gas flaring, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited.
The health burden is particularly severe in oil-producing communities, where exposure to gas flares contributes to respiratory illnesses, stunting, and wasting in children.
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Studies by the World Health Organisation show that an increase in flaring exposure raises the risk of respiratory issues in children by 3%, while the likelihood of stunting and wasting increases by 1%.
In 2023, Babajimi Benson, representing the Ikorodu Federal Constituency, introduced a bill to prohibit gas flaring and promote gas usage at the National Assembly. The bill, which passed its second reading in December, proposes stricter penalties for violators and holds oil companies accountable for their emissions.
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