FG Inaugurates Decarbonisation Working Group, Recommits to Ending Gas Flaring by 2030

*Ekpo reiterates Nigeria’s plan to deploy gas as transition fuel

*NCCC: Methane emissions reduction now economic imperative

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The federal government on Tuesday inaugurated the Joint Decarbonisation Working Group (JDWG) for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, reaffirming its commitment to end routine gas flaring by 2030 while positioning natural gas as the country’s transition fuel in pursuit of industrial growth and lower carbon emissions.

Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the working group would provide a coordinated platform for government institutions, regulators, industry operators and development partners to drive decarbonisation initiatives across the petroleum industry without undermining Nigeria’s economic development aspirations.

Ekpo stressed that the inauguration marked “far more than a launch” of another committee, describing it as a landmark initiative designed to strengthen institutional collaboration and ensure that Nigeria’s industrial sector remains globally competitive while pursuing sustainability goals.

“Nigeria is blessed with significant volumes of natural gas resources. Natural gas remains Nigeria’s transition fuel and our objective under the Renewed Hope Agenda is clear. We have committed ourselves to transforming this abundant resource into industrial growth, expanding energy access, employment opportunities, cleaner cooking solutions, increased domestic utilisation and greater prosperity for our people,” he said.

According to the minister, decarbonisation has evolved beyond an environmental obligation into an economic necessity as investors increasingly consider carbon performance in making investment decisions.

“Today, decarbonisation has become far more than an environmental obligation. It is now an economic imperative, an investment imperative and a competitiveness imperative. If we are to remain a preferred destination for responsible energy investment, we must continue building institutions, policies and regulatory systems that inspire confidence while preserving our sovereign rights to utilise our natural resources for national growth,” Ekpo stated.

He reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for global efforts to reduce methane emissions from fossil fuel operations, maintaining that climate ambition must progress alongside economic development. Ekpo insisted that no developing nation should be compelled to choose between poverty reduction and environmental protection.

“Our objective is clear. Climate ambition must go hand in hand with development ambition. No country should be forced to choose between lifting its people out of poverty and protecting the environment. Nigeria will continue to pursue both,” he added.

The minister explained that the newly inaugurated working group would strengthen policy coordination, improve measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification systems, support implementation of existing regulations, facilitate technology deployment and improve access to climate finance and carbon markets.

Addressing members of the working group, Ekpo said they had been entrusted with responsibilities that extend beyond holding meetings or preparing reports.

Also speaking, the Director General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Dr. Tenioye Majekodunmi, described methane emissions reduction as one of the fastest and most cost-effective measures available to improve Nigeria’s environmental performance while strengthening the competitiveness of its oil and gas industry.

According to her, global markets are increasingly rewarding cleaner production methods, making decarbonisation essential for Nigeria’s long-term economic relevance.

“The global energy transition is no longer a distant aspiration. It is today’s economic reality. Around the world, investment decisions are increasingly being shaped by carbon performance. Decarbonisation is therefore not merely an environmental obligation, it is an economic imperative,” she said.

Majekodunmi reiterated that Nigeria’s pathway to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060 is anchored on a pragmatic and just transition that balances climate commitments with industrialisation, job creation and energy security.

She said the country’s strategy rests on the Decade of Gas initiative, which positions natural gas as the transition fuel, alongside aggressive reduction of methane and other short-lived climate pollutants.

“Through initiatives such as the Nigeria Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme, Nigeria remains committed to ending routine gas flaring by 2030. Continued gas flaring is, quite simply, like setting fire to a bank vault full of money.

“Capturing flare gas transforms environmental waste into economic value. It creates jobs, improves public health, strengthens energy security and unlocks new investment opportunities,” she stated.

Majekodunmi disclosed that the Joint Decarbonisation Working Group would strengthen emissions measurement and transparency through advanced leak detection systems, satellite monitoring and robust measurement, reporting and verification mechanisms, while also helping to unlock climate finance and carbon market investments.

Chairman of the House Committee on Climate Change and Security, Kama Nkemkanma, described decarbonisation as an opportunity to modernise Nigeria’s oil and gas industry rather than a threat to its future.

He argued that the country’s financial capacity, technical expertise and established supply chain position it to accelerate investments in gas development, renewable energy integration, carbon capture, energy efficiency and other low-carbon technologies while maintaining energy security.

Also speaking, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Patience Oyekunle, represented by Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Kemi Yusuf, said the establishment of the working group demonstrated the ministry’s commitment to stronger institutional collaboration and responsible petroleum resource development.

She noted that the platform would coordinate decarbonisation initiatives across the petroleum value chain, strengthen investor confidence, accelerate sustainable investments and ensure Nigeria continues to harness its hydrocarbon resources responsibly while advancing global climate action.