Environment
‘2015 Deadline For End To Gas Flaring Not Feasible’
The oil firms in Nigeria,
especially the International Oil Companies (IOCs), may continue to flare the nation’s gas resources beyond 2015, Prof Yinka Omoreghe, an energy expert, has said.
Prof Yinka Omoreghe, a law professor and an energy economist at the Nigerian Institute of Advance Legal Studies, said this in an interview in Abuja
Omoreghe, a fellow of the Nigerian Association of Energy Economics, said the 2015 deadline to end gas flaring might not be feasible, attributing this to lack of political will and other factors.
The don said that although the Federal Government tried to end natural gas flaring over the years, the flare out deadline had been repeatedly postponed.
She said that the continued flaring of gas in the country, amidst gas supply shortfall in the domestic market, constituted not only an environmental disaster, but also economic tragedy.
Omoreghe stressed the need for a legal framework and the political will to stop massive flaring of natural gas in the country.
“Why are we the only country that has refused to tackle gas flaring; from what I see, stoppage of the gas flaring in 2015 may not be feasible.
“However, where there is a will, there is a way. Once we put in the infrastructure for gas utilisation, we will be able to stop the flaring.
“Once we are really determined, we will admit to the need to stop gas flaring; we will shut production in areas where it cannot be utilised and cannot be re-injected,” she said.
Omoreghe said the problem was not that of the international oil companies, “but ours as a country”.
“It is not an IOC problem, it is our own problem.
“ It is the lack of political will combined with other factors because there is no reason why other countries were able to reduce gas flaring and we cannot,’’ she said.
Omoreghe, who also called on the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), said its passage could be linked to ending the gas flaring.
According to her, the passage will stimulate activities in gas projects and infrastructure.
“The passage of PIB is somehow linked with the stoppage of gas flaring, just as electricity is linked to natural gas without frame work, gas flaring is linked to the natural gas without frame work,’’ she said.
The professor said that the bill, if passed, would attract investors into projects and production.
“The gas utilisation projects are stimulated by the investment framework and the physical framework that we found in the bill.
“Tell an investor to come and invest, he will tell you that I am not coming if I cannot see the workable investment framework, so that is the link,’’ she said.
She urged the Federal Government to put in place gas utilisation projects and schemes to accelerate the stoppage of gas flaring.
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has launched the 1GOV Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to enhance digital governance and improve service delivery.
The launch, held on Thursday in Abuja, marks the ministry’s transition from paper-based operations to a smart, integrated and technology-driven work environment.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the deployment aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Utsev said the system would improve data management, streamline workflows and strengthen transparency and accountability across the ministry.
According to him, the ECMS will enhance productivity, preserve institutional memory and reduce operational costs in the ministry.
Launching the platform, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said the initiative is a major step in public sector reform.
She said the ministry’s mandate affects Nigerians through water supply, sanitation, irrigation, river basin development and climate resilience programmes.
Walson-Jack said the 1GOV ECMS enables secure digital records management, automated workflows, electronic approvals and real-time collaboration across MDAs.
She added that the deployment aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and the directive for full digitalisation by December 2025.
“Effective governance cannot afford delays caused by manual bottlenecks or avoidable inefficiencies,” she said.
She directed that all official correspondence in the ministry must henceforth be processed through approved digital registry channels.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the system would eliminate workflow inefficiencies and improve service delivery.
She urged staff to fully adopt the platform and engage in continuous capacity building.
Research shows that local communities and citizens living at the grassroots, particularly women, are directly impacted by the environmental degradation, flooding and others that result from these manifestations.
In the light of this, non-governmental organisation, Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development (EUFORDe), has held a forum for women and other members of oil impacted communities, tagged: ‘Voices from the Grassroots,’ and aimed at building their resilience and mitigation efforts against climate change and environmental degradation
The forum, with the theme: ‘Building Resilience for Oil Spill Impacted Ahoada Communities,’ organised with support from Global Green Grants, was held in Ahoada Community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, on December 5, 2025.
Executive Director of Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development, Mercy Elemchukwu-James, said women are at the forefront of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.
The event, therefore, was “designed for community women impacted by oil spills, flooding and other environmental degradation,” she said.
Community women were enlightened by resource persons on new opportunities for sustainable agricultural practices and water management techniques that cushion the impact of oil spills.
Lectures were also delivered on Self-care and Trauma-care, with focus on physical and mental health of the population, and increasing access to health-related resources and services; as well as on Food security and women’s critical role in decision making in oil spill and flood situations in communities
Elemchukwu-James pointed out that the event created a forum for stakeholders, civil society actors and others to dialogue on measures at advancing inclusive and sustainable livelihoods of community women.
She stressed the need for collaborative efforts towards achieving mitigation efforts, while underscoring EUFORDe’s commitment to “fostering partnerships as a critical driver for achieving a healthy community and sustainable development.”
Elemchukwu-James described participants’ design of ‘Community Resilience Plan,’ to manage and combat environmental degradation and crises, as part of achievements recorded at the event.
The forum also witnessed the launching of EUFORDs’ Center For Resilience and Rights.
“This center is established to build resilience as Trauma-Care for victims of environmental degradation, support for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and a platform where victims of environmental injustice and other GBV cases can seek redress,” Elemchukwu-James said.
Participants celebrated the milestones achieved and charted a path toward greater impact in the coming years. They also described the event as “an inspiring and transformative experience.”
Elemchukwu-James said the awareness creation workshop “reaffirms EUFORDe’s mission to create an equitable society in which the rights and capacities of women, youth, children and underprivileged are integrated in the socio-economic planning and development of communities, for the attainment of equity and peace.
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