A civic technology organisation, BudgIT Nigeria, said yesterday that Nigeria loses N2.5 billion yearly to gas flaring.
The organisation which is interested in entrenching transparency in government budgets, in a statement endorsed by its Communication Lead, Abiola Afolabi, called on the Federal Government to take action against the effects of gas flaring. It said gas flaring continued to contribute to Nigeriaโs environmental degradation while posing hazards to human health and loss of revenue to the government.
While commending the government on some progress made in the fight against routine gas flaring in the last 20 years, the group said an analysis carried out by its Extractives Team showed that the volume of gas produced increased by 91.13 per cent while the volume flared reduced by only 38.06 per cent between 2001 and 2016.
โThis implies that oil companies invested more money in gas production activities and are less concerned about sufficiently investing in technologies and infrastructure to control gas flaring.
โWhat Nigeria has at the moment is potential for the consumption of un-flared gas. Therefore, the supply framework, infrastructure and market systems necessary for un-flared gas to reach its end usersโ needs must be collectively and sustainable developed by all stakeholders,โ the statement read.
BudgIT called on the government to explore existing technologies and strategies to reduce the volume of gas flared into the atmosphere.
โSome irresponsible oil companies are unwilling to make the investment necessary to deploy the right technologies and infrastructure in Nigeria.
โAlso, the guiding legal framework for deterring gas flaring must be reviewed to prevent companies from taking advantage of inherent loopholes,โ the statement added.
It said BudgIT Team visited communities in the Niger Delta in April 2017 and observed several cases of gas flare near residential neighbourhoods, specifically Polaku and Ogu communities in Bayelsa and Rivers states respectively.
โThe effects of gas flaring are not limited to deformity in children, lung damage, pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, blood disorders and a host of other fatal health conditions,โ the statement added.
BudgITโs Lead Partner, Oluseun Onigbinde said: โBudgIT is calling on the Federal Government to muster the political will necessary to execute Nigeriaโs gas master plan and to enforce regulations aimed at tangibly achieving Zero Routine Gas Flaring.
โAlso, proceeds from gas flare penalties can be channelled towards funding health-related research in the Niger Delta region, to protect the residents and improve their living conditions.โ
