By Emmanuella Oghenetega
The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, has hosted a two-day Sub-Saharan African Roundtable on Methane Emissions in Abuja with the theme: “Turning Methane Pledges into Action”.
The event which took place on the 24th and 25th, convened stakeholders, policymakers, regulators, technical experts, operators, and development partners from across the region to advance practical and collaborative solutions for methane mitigation in Africa’s oil and gas industry.
Delivering his keynote address, the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Dr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, described methane as one of the most potent greenhouse gases driving global warming.
He noted that achieving the Global Methane Pledge target of a 30 percent reduction by 2030 is both realistic and economically beneficial for oil and gas producing nations.
The Minister highlighted Nigeria’s leadership on methane management, emphasizing that the country was the first in Africa to publish a Methane Action Plan.
He further explained that Nigeria has made significant progress through sustained reduction in routine gas flaring, extensive mapping of flare sites, advancement of the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme, deployment of leak detection and repair technologies, and the steady expansion of liquefied petroleum gas utilisation in households.
He added that these actions, alongside emerging gas infrastructure projects under the Decade of Gas Initiative, reflect Nigeria’s commitment to environmental responsibility, economic diversification, improved energy access, and public health enhancement.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Emeka Vitalis Obi, described the roundtable as timely and crucial, particularly as global attention shifts from broad climate declarations to concrete emission-reduction outcomes.
He emphasised that methane reduction lies at the heart of Nigeria’s environmental, economic, and energy priorities, noting that although the country holds vast natural gas reserves, decades of gas flaring and venting have contributed to considerable financial losses and environmental impact.
Dr. Obi however stressed that the Federal Government is decisively reversing this trend through strengthened regulatory frameworks established by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, which prohibits unauthorised flaring and reinforces environmental oversight across the oil and gas value chain.
He further explained that Nigeria’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement commits the country to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 47 percent by 2030 on a conditional basis, and 20 percent unconditionally with international support.
He noted that “these commitments are not abstract targets, they are embedded in national programmes, policy reforms, and infrastructure Investments currently underway”
The Perm Sec also underscored the opportunity for African countries to leverage methane reduction as a development tool capable of delivering cleaner industries, improving public health, creating jobs, expanding energy access, and attracting investment.
He called on participants to leverage the roundtable as a platform for deepening regional collaboration, harmonising regulatory standards, strengthening institutional capacity, encouraging technology transfer, and mobilising climate finance for sustainable energy development.
