EU, UNEP partner with Nigeria to curb methane emissions in oil, agriculture sectors

The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have announced a joint commitment to support Nigeria’s efforts in reducing methane emissions, targeting key sectors like oil and gas, agriculture, and waste management.

At a capacity-building workshop in Abuja, UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) program manager, Marci Paranski, said the initiative will focus on establishing a national baseline for methane emissions in Nigeria.

The workshop, held on Tuesday, marked the beginning of a three-year Emissions Reduction Programme funded by the EU delegation to Nigeria and implemented by UNEP.

“Nigeria is pioneering a groundbreaking initiative in Africa to set a national baseline for methane emissions,” Paranski said. “This initiative will help us understand the contributions of various sectors, including oil and gas, agriculture, and waste, to national methane levels.”

The program is part of a broader effort to reduce Nigeria’s methane emissions by 2030, in line with international climate commitments. It includes collaboration with scientific partners inside and outside the country, as well as local organizations like the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), and Carbon Limits.

In her remarks, Nkiruka Maduekwe, Director-General of the NCCC, praised the government’s ongoing efforts to address methane pollution.

She highlighted that the program would not only help build the necessary infrastructure and implement regulatory frameworks but also train civil servants, private sector actors, and early-career scientists on methane reduction strategies.

“The introduction of methane guidelines and gas flaring prevention regulations in 2023 is a major step forward in reducing methane emissions,” Maduekwe said. “Methane is a highly potent pollutant, often referred to as a ‘super pollutant,’ due to its short-lived but significant environmental impact. This capacity-building program will ensure that the knowledge gained is put into practice.”

The collaboration between the EU, UNEP, and Nigeria’s climate sector aims to provide the tools and knowledge needed to achieve significant emission reductions across the country’s most methane-intensive industries.