Environment
Stakeholders Want Commitment To End Gas Flaring
Stakeholders in the Niger Delta region are urging for a firm commitment by the government to end gas flaring and other forms of pollution in the region.
The stakeholders said this at a forum organised by the institute of strategic management Nigeria, Rivers State Chapter in Port Harcourt.
In his lecture entitled: “Critical Environmental Challenges in Rivers State, Exploring Strategic Solutions,” Dr Sofin Peterside said that billions of dollars have been flared inform of gas since the discovery of oil in the country.
“Every year, millions of dollars are literally going up in smoke in the Niger Delta as companies burn off unwanted gas released during oil production.
“The Government at a time fixed December 2012 as the new deadline to end all forms of gas flaring in Nigeria.
“This was not to be feasible as the country is still rated the second worst flaring nation in the world.”
According to him, an estimated $2.5 billion was reportedly lost yearly due to lack of infrastructures to harness gas.
Dr Peterside, who is the Director of the Centre for Advanced Social Science (CASS) listed the health implications of gas flare to include climate change which leads to increase in temperature which affects the human skin.
“The sea level rise, precipitation, direct solar radiation and its resultant depletion of the ozone layer.
The university don also decried the incident of the black soot in the state.
“It is now common knowledge that since late November 2017, strange black soot has been present in the atmosphere, scaring residents of Port Harcourt City and other neigbouring Local Government Areas such as Eleme, Oyigbo, Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor, Khana, Gokana and Tai.
“The clouds became hazy and grey, if you hang your cloths before you know it, they have become black,” he said.
The university don also decried the non cleanup of Ogoniland, stressing that oil contamination in Ogoniland is widespread and severely impacting many components of the environment.
“Although the oil industry is no longer alive in the area, oil spills continue to occur with alarming regularity,” he said.
Also speaking on Human and Economic Cost of Environmental Challenges in Rivers State, Mr Eugene Abels, described the pollution of the Niger Delta as alarming.
Mr Abels said that the advent of illegal oil bunkering in the region has set the region back educationally, stressing that presently, the region is witnessing a high school dropout.
According to him, “instead of being in school, young men, women and children take to the creeks to make quick money from illegal refining.
“Even children who are not able to go to the creeks move about with jerry cans hawking bunkered fuel,” he said.
The Ministry of Environment on Thursday in Abuja, advanced its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, validating a comprehensive plan aimed at tackling climate-related challenges in the country.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Alhaji Mahmud Kambari, said this at the Stakeholders Consultative Workshop on the Development of the concept notes to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for NAP in Nigeria.
Kambari, who was represented by Mrs Victoria Pwol, the Deputy Director in the Department of Climate Change (DCC) in the ministry, said that the workshop is a collective resolve to confront the realities of climate change with purpose, strategy, and coordinated action.
“Over the past years, the Federal Government of Nigeria, with crucial support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has made significant progress in advancing the NAP process.
“As a nation, we stand at a critical juncture where climate risks ranging from extreme weather events to environmental degradation continues to threaten our socio-economic stability, food systems, public health, infrastructure, and national development aspirations.
“Through extensive technical work, we have completed a Climate Risk Assessment across all geopolitical and agro-ecological zones, developed an Economic Appraisal, an Adaptation Finance Strategy, and a robust Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.”
Kambari said that these foundational elements now guide Nigeria to identify priority adaptation needs and investment opportunities.
“Let me mention that we are at the tail end of this NAP Formulation Process and looking forward to the implementation phase.
“This workshop therefore serves as a strategic purpose to harmonise perspectives across key MDAs; refine project ideas into strong, evidence-based concept notes.
“It will ensure that proposed interventions align with national priorities and the investment criteria of the GCF and position Nigeria to competitively access the resources required to strengthen resilience across vulnerable sectors,” he said.
Dr Iniobong Abiola-Awe, the Director DCC in the Ministry said that the engagement would enhance achievements by collaboratively developing bankable, climate-resilient concept notes that align with national priorities and meet the GCF’s investment requirements.
Abiola-Awe who was represented by Dr Jonah Barde in the Ministry said that the workshop represented an important step in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to strengthen climate resilience.
She added that the workshop would advance sustainable development, and mobilise the climate finance needed to safeguard Nigeria’s communities, ecosystems, and economy from the growing impacts of climate change.
Effective communication, transparency, and science-based risk assessments are the cornerstones of Nigeria’s approach to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
Mr Bello Bwari, the Director-General, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), gave the assurance during a media interaction in Abuja on Friday.
“Where there is communication, you reduce conflict. Effective communication is key, effective engagement with stakeholders is paramount and key to making Nigeria better.
Bwari said anti GMO’s critics keep participants and practitioners on their toes.
“We value them and we expect that their criticisms, suggestions and recommendations will make our operations in the entire spectrum better.
“Where we are not doing so well, we will hear from them, where we can advance explanations, we will advance explanations. Where they are not doing well, we will tell them. We will not run away from doing that.
“But I want to assure you that we are bold enough to face anybody who is not fact-based,” he said.
He reassured that sometime before the end of the second quarter of 2026 there would be a retreat where all stakeholders would be invited.
“And also, the impact we are bringing is going to be measurable by the end of 2026. And going forward, what we do by the end of 2026 will form the basis of our five-year plan.
“There’s a five-year plan which will start at the end of 2026. So, I enjoin the media to please report what you know as a matter of fact, not as a matter of opinion.
“We all have different opinions, but some of our opinions are not facts. From the quality of what I see on papers, reportage, I think largely I’m impressed with what the press is doing in Nigeria so far,” he said.
Bwari stated that Nigerians deserved to understand what NBMA regulates, why they regulate it, and how decisions were made.
“Part of my focus going forward will be strengthening engagement with the media, researchers, policymakers, and the public because regulation works best when it is understood.
“We are not promoters of any technology, and we are not opponents of innovation. We are regulators.
“But at its core, biosafety is about prevention, caution, and preparedness. It is about ensuring that innovation does not outpace safety, and that national development never compromises public health or environmental integrity,” he said.
He promised to uphold the law without fear or favour, communicate more clearly with the public and ensure that every regulatory decision was transparent, evidence-based, and accountable
“NBMA is not an advocacy agency. Our duty is to assess risks, enforce safeguards, and ensure compliance with national and international biosafety standards.I also want to emphasise that public trust matters.
He further urged the media to help Nigerians understand biosafety and biosecurity in a better way.
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