Lawmakers seek end to gas flaring

Chinazor Megbolu |

The House Committee on Gas Resources Environment and Climate Change of House of Representatives has emphasized on the need to end gas flaring in Nigeria.

The Committee, through its Chairman, Hon.
Nicholas Mutu, on Monday in Abuja disclosed this at a public hearing on the reasons towards ending gas flaring in Nigeria.

He noted that the House would look into the matter in a bid to tackle it by collaborating with stakeholders as regards ending gas flaring within the shortest possible time.

Mutu also pointed out that the committee would collate suggestions from stakeholders towards ensuring a legislative steps is taken to stop continuous flaring of gas in Nigeria.

He further posited that the House will install equipment for capturing associated gas as done in the advanced world.

Mutu maintained that they will support the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other regulatory agencies in order to end gas flaring.

“We will ensure strict compliance with the 2018 flare gas prevention of waste and pollution regulations and implementation of Nigeria Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme.

“Gas flare is a malady that we must work together to eliminate at the shortest time possible; because of its all-round adverse effect on the environment and socio-economic well-being of the people of Niger Delta.

“By current estimates of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Nigeria loses over 750 million dollars in annual revenue from gas flaring.

“The gas that is being flared is feedstock for other industries, which if properly harnessed would stimulate economic growth,” Mutu said.

He, however, said that ending gas flaring will also help create employment opportunities as well as provide income for midstream organisations and more revenue for government in terms taxes.

Meanwhile the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, in his remarks, said the House debated on the need to end gas flaring in 2020, buttressing the occasion was in fulfillment of the resolution reached at the debate last year.

According to Gbajabiamila; “numerous efforts about ending gas flaring in Nigeria have not yielded the desired results and the country has not been able to end the environmental damage that results from gas flaring’’.

He further averred that the issue has deprived the country, economic benefits of full usage of gas resources.