An expert in the Oil and Gas sector, Bayode Ogidan, has attributed weak regulations and enforcement, believed to have been informed by government’s continued reliance on oil, as a major factor companies have continued to flare gas in Nigeria.
Ogidan, in his ‘Critical Review on the Environmental Impact of Gas Flaring in Nigeria”, noted that while Nigeria has laws against gas flaring, a practice that releases harmful gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂), which degrade air quality, the enforcement of such legislations has been inconsistent.
According to him, the regulations are often lenient, and companies that flare gas face only minimal fines, which are rather too small to discourage the practice.
He also lamented a situation where oil companies are given legal exemptions, a development that allows such companies continually flare gas without meaningful consequences, adding that the obvious lack of stringent enforcement has left room for the continued environmental damage.
Ogidan stated that companies engage in the practice since they see the extraction and sales of crude oil as more profitable than capturing and utilising the gas.
“Developing gas infrastructure requires substantial investment, and many companies find it more economical to flare the gas instead. This prioritisation of profits over sustainability perpetuates the environmental and economic losses associated with gas flaring,” he stated.
Ogidan, whose experience in the Oil and Gas sector spanned over two decades, however, warned of the impacts and consequences of gas flaring on the nation’s economy, healthcare, and ecosystems.
On the impact of the practice on the economy, Ogidan noted that flared gas represents a significant economic resource that should have been utilised for energy generation, both for domestic consumption and export.
“Nigeria loses billions of dollars each year by burning off this valuable resource instead of harnessing it for electricity, industrial use, or export as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Gas that could power homes, industries, and transportation is wasted in the skies above oil fields,” he stated.
Ogidan also believed the practice creates economic hardship for local communities, as evidenced in communities in the Niger Delta, which have continued to bear the brunt of the economic fallout from gas flaring.
“With farmlands damaged, water sources polluted, and health conditions deteriorating, local residents struggle to make a living. Fishing and farming, once vibrant sectors in the region, have been devastated by environmental degradation, driving many into poverty.
“Over the decade I’ve been going offshore. I’ve noticed a decline in fishermen in a local Akwa Ibom community. Initially, there were many fishing boats, but now their numbers have dwindled. Due to climate change and increased oil production, fishing is less profitable. The marine life and ecosystem in these areas have been affected by the constant heat generated by the flares,” he stated.
The health implications, the Oil expert argued, could also be grave. For instance, some illnesses such as respiratory problems and cancer, he stated, can be linked to air pollution, thereby increasing healthcare costs for families, putting a burden on the country’s medical system, while also dampening economic growth in the affected areas due to loss of productivity, induced by the health issues, in the affected areas.
Ogidan, therefore, called for improved regulation and stricter penalties for violators. Such sanctions, he added, should come in form of higher fines and stronger enforcement to put pressure on oil companies to invest in alternative methods of gas disposal or utilisation.
“Eliminating legal loopholes that permit continued flaring would also send a clear message that environmental degradation will no longer be tolerated.
“Developing the infrastructure necessary to capture and process associated gas is also key to reducing flaring. Building pipelines, processing plants, and gas storage facilities would enable the country to utilize the gas for domestic power generation, which could also help alleviate Nigeria’s energy crisis, and, by extension, unlock the potential for gas export, thereby providing a significant economic boost,” he stated.
While stressing the need for the federal government to urgently address the issue through stronger regulations, investment in gas infrastructure, and community involvement to mitigate its harmful impacts, Ogidan believed that, by harnessing the potential of associated gas, Nigeria will not only reduce its environmental footprint, but also unlock new economic opportunities that benefit both local communities and the nation as a whole.
ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE