Nigeria Pitches $2.2 Billion Flare Gas Plan at COP31
Regulators seek global investment to capture flared gas and reduce methane emissions.
1Investment Pitch at COP31
At the COP31 summit in Antalya, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission presented a $2.2 billion investment plan. The initiative focuses on the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme, which aims to capture gas currently burnt off at oil fields. Officials hope to attract international capital to scale these vital decarbonization projects.
2Operational Capacity and Targets
The commission identified flare sites capable of supporting projects that utilize up to 250 million standard cubic feet of gas daily. This effort aligns with Nigeria’s Paris Agreement commitments to end routine flaring. By converting waste into a resource, the government intends to create jobs and foster significant local industry participation.
3Launch of NOGIET Portal
Nigeria introduced the Oil and Gas Industry Emission Tracker, a satellite-linked portal for monitoring facility-level emissions. Developed with the Stakeholder Democracy Network and Global Methane Hub, the tool allows regulators to compare company reports against satellite data. This transparency mechanism is designed to identify hotspots and enforce stricter environmental compliance standards.
4Regulatory Shift to Delivery
Regulators emphasized that the era of policy announcement is ending, shifting focus toward project delivery and measurable results. Since 2022, the commission has established frameworks for fugitive methane and greenhouse gas emissions. These rules have effectively created new markets for leak detection, aerial monitoring, and advanced vapour recovery technology providers.
5Methane Reduction Objectives
Nigeria has pledged to reduce methane emissions by 60 percent by 2035. New guidelines mandate that oil and gas companies replace estimated figures with verified measurements by the first quarter of 2027. This transition is critical for ensuring that the sector remains competitive while meeting international climate performance standards and expectations.
6Carbon Capture Potential
Beyond gas capture, Nigeria is positioning itself as a hub for carbon capture, utilization, and storage. The country possesses 3.4 billion tonnes of CO2 storage potential across 606 depleted oil fields in the Niger Delta. These geological assets provide a strategic advantage for scaling long-term carbon sequestration efforts within the region.
7Persistent Flaring Challenges
Despite ongoing initiatives, Nigeria flared 203.9 billion standard cubic feet of gas in 2025. While flaring rates dropped 8.1 percent in early 2026, they spiked to 7.48 percent in August. Investigations suggest that weak enforcement of anti-flaring laws and measurement gaps remain significant hurdles to achieving the government's zero-flaring ambitions.
8Future Sector Competitiveness
Nigeria holds 37.01 billion barrels of oil and 215.19 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves. Officials maintain that these resources remain central to energy security. However, the sector's future competitiveness now depends on carbon performance, requiring closer synergy between government, industry, and climate-finance partners to bridge existing funding gaps.
Original article: Premium Times Nigeria — Nigeria Pitches $2.2 Billion Flare Gas Plan at COP31