The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) on Tuesday reiterated its commitment to ending gas flaring in 2030 and achieving net zero carbon emission by 2060.
The NUPRC Chief Executive Officer, Gbenga Komolafe, disclosed this while delivering his speech at the 8th Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC) holding in Lagos.
According to Komolafe, the NUPRC “is effectively spearheading the national drive to achieve the zero-flare target by 2030 and net zero carbon emissions by 2060”.
It would be recalled that NUPRC had earlier released guidelines to establish actions and mechanisms for operators to prevent and control the emission of greenhouse gases from upstream oil and gas operations at new and existing facilities.
The guidelines were designed to: reduce environmental and social impacts; prevent the waste of natural resources; and support the achievement of Nigeria’s emissions mitigation and reduction targets, including the elimination of routine gas flaring by 2030.
While speaking on Tuesday, Komolafe disclosed that this would be achieved through several initiatives, including the Nigeria Gas-Flare Commercialisation Programme.
The NUPRC boss explained that Nigeria is on track to meet its environmental stewardship obligations.
He stated that analysis of the European Union’s Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research database shows that “Nigeria occupies a distant 165th position in the global ranking of top emitters, with a greenhouse gas emissions per capita at 1.88 tonnes Carbon dioxide equivalent per capita per year, representing just 0.13 percent of the global total”.
Komolafe said, however, that “despite the low emissions, we are not resting on our oars”.
While addressing delegates at SAIPEC, Komolafe noted that Nigeria holds promise for Africa and has the potential to emerge as a superpower given its strategic geopolitical importance, large market size of over 200 million people, teeming youth population, abundant natural and energy resources in the right mix, and the myriads of investment opportunities therein.
However, he held that the realisation of this potential “will depend on how effectively we address our challenges and leverage our strengths in the coming years”.
He urged participants to accept the conference as a call for action, and a charge for “enhanced collaboration and regional integration in unlocking our vast opportunities”.
