As a way to stimulate public discourse on methane emissions reduction in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), in partnership with the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) is set to engage journalists, CSOs and other stakeholders in a 3-day capacity building and stakeholder engagement. 

The event will be held from Wednesday, 13th to Friday, 15th of March 2024, in the nation’s capital.

In a statement issued by the organisers, the workshop’s primary objective is to enhance the capacity of civil society organisations (CSOs) and media personnel, enabling them to effectively raise awareness and contribute to substantive public discussions regarding the urgent implementation of methane emissions reduction strategies within the oil and gas sector.  

They noted that in the global energy transition away from all fossil sources to cleaner alternatives, Methane (CH4) stands out as the most potent contributor to existing greenhouse gas emissions, contributing around 30 per cent of the rise in global temperatures, adding that the oil and gas sector is the largest source of methane emissions from the energy sector, an industry already labelled for its preponderance contribution to global warming, exacerbating the adverse effects of climate change. 

According to the organisers, this necessitated the stakeholders’ policy conversations around the responsible exploitation of methane-rich resources and reducing methane emissions during all exploration activities, including oil and gas.

Speaking on the workshop, Felicia Dairo, the project manager on the Natural Resource and Extractive Programme (NAREP) and climate change at CJID, revealed that the workshop is a blend of policy dialogue by industry experts and capacity building for journalists reporting the extractive sector. 

She noted that the workshop aims to equip industry players and journalists with the knowledge and tools to comprehend, monitor, and influence Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to reduce methane emissions. “Ultimately, this will contribute to the country’s more successful implementation of methane emissions reduction initiatives” she stressed.

The senior programme officer (Nigeria office) at NRGI, Tengi George-Ikoli, in her comments, noted that the workshop will witness the launch of a guidebook for the media and CSOs, which “can be leveraged by them as an accountability tool to better understand the government commitments and ambitions but also leverage that information to meaningfully engage the government in public debate.

“If Nigeria is to meet its global and national commitments to reduce methane emissions and improve Nigerian lives, we must first reflect on the energy transition through the guidebook and then build sustainable mechanisms to reduce the impact of methane emissions on Nigerians”, Ms George-Ikoli said.   

Nigeria’s Emissions Challenges

Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil and gas producer, second only to Angola, and has its fair share of problems mitigating emissions from flaring, fugitives, and venting in the oil and gas sector.  These emissions contribute to climate change and waste valuable resources. 

Despite making some commitments to reduce emissions, Nigeria has not implemented them effectively or transparently. This, coupled with a lack of public awareness and industry-level sensitisation, is a blockade from becoming a political priority. As Nigeria plans to expand its gas sector, this will increase emissions, making the emissions challenge more urgent. While developing the gas sector is important for Nigeria’s economy, it poses huge environmental and social risks if not done sustainably. 

About The Workshop

The workshop will commence with a two-day workshop designed to enhance the skills and capacity of journalists and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) affiliated with prominent media outlets and organisations with national coverage and broader audience engagement. This will take place from Wednesday, the 13th, to Thursday, the 14th of March 2024. 

The stakeholder engagement is planned for Friday, the 15th of March, featuring the launch of a guidebook on Nigeria’s Energy Transition developed by NRGI and the presentation of the organisation’s findings on Nigeria’s Methane Emissions Reduction Strategies, Challenges and Opportunities.

Signed:

Akintunde Babatunde,

Director of Programmes.