By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja

Civil society organisations have called for stronger enforcement of methane emission regulations and accelerated efforts to end gas flaring in Nigeria, warning that continued emissions from oil and gas operations are inflicting severe health, environmental and economic costs on host communities.

The call was made during the screening of Flaring Lives, a documentary produced by Policy Alert and We The People with support from the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), which highlighted the impact of gas flaring and methane emissions on communities in the Niger Delta.

Speaking at the webinar event, NRGI Country Manager, Tengi George-Ikoli, said Nigeria faces the challenge of balancing its ambition to expand gas production with its commitments to reduce methane emissions, eliminate routine gas flaring and meet global climate targets.

According to her, while Nigeria has made progress through the adoption of methane regulations and reporting requirements, implementation remains a major concern.

“Progress on paper is not the same as progress in practice. The real test lies in implementation. Are commitments being met? Are emissions being measured accurately? Are regulations being enforced consistently? And most importantly, are the experiences of affected communities reflected in the decisions being made?” she said.

George-Ikoli, who was represented by NGRI Programme Officer, Ahmad Abdulsamad, noted that methane emissions have implications beyond climate change, affecting the health, livelihoods and environment of communities living near oil and gas facilities.

“For communities living near oil and gas facilities, methane is not an abstract climate issue. It is connected to the air they breathe, the health risks they face, the quality of their farmland and fishing waters, and their everyday experience of living alongside extraction activities,” she stated.

She also warned that tightening international regulations, particularly in major export markets such as the European Union, mean that oil and gas producers will increasingly be judged by the environmental footprint of their operations.

To address the challenge, she called for stronger enforcement of regulations, adoption of credible methane measurement standards, mandatory emissions reduction plans by companies, acceleration of the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme and improved monitoring, reporting and verification systems across the oil and gas value chain.

“Regulations only matter if there are consequences for non-compliance,” she said, adding that “you cannot effectively reduce what you cannot accurately measure.”

George-Ikoli further urged oil and gas companies to move beyond emissions disclosure to taking concrete steps to reduce methane releases, noting that transparency must ultimately translate into action.

She said platforms such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative audit reports should be used by companies to report methane emissions and reduction efforts.

Also speaking, Executive Director of Policy Alert, Tijah Bolton-Apkan, described gas flaring as a long-standing environmental injustice that has burdened oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta for more than six decades.

“For over six decades, the flames of gas flaring have lit up the night skies of the Niger Delta, a daily reminder of the huge burden borne by oil-producing communities,” he said.

“Flaring Lives is not just a documentary; it is a tool for introspection and accountability because behind every flare stack are communities battling respiratory illnesses, contaminated farmlands, vanishing fish stocks and a climate that grows more hostile by the year.”

Bolton-Apkan argued that gas flaring, venting and fugitive emissions have for too long been treated as an acceptable cost of doing business, while affected communities continue to bear the consequences.

“The conversation can no longer be about whether this harm is happening; it is about why it is still allowed to happen,” he said.

He called on journalists and media organisations to deepen coverage of methane emissions and gas flaring issues, investigate industry emissions data and amplify the voices of affected communities.