As the global community marks the World Environment Day 2026, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has reiterated its commitment to ending gas flare by 2030 and 60 per cent reduction of Methane by 2035.
In a statement released on Friday, the Commission said the country has recorded a significant reduction in routine gas flare, which it said, dropped drastically from over 80 per cent to 7 per cent in the last 35 years “as Nigeria continues to pursue an environment-friendly crude oil production regime.”
NUPRC also stated that, as part of efforts to deepen upstream decarbonisation effort, it had earlier in the year issued a new directive to operators to institutionalise credible Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) practices for methane and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission inventories.
READ ALSO:
- Nigeria’s Oil Reserves Stand at 37Bn Barrels, to Last 59 Years – NUPRC
- Dangote Refinery Cuts Petrol Price by ₦100 to ₦1,075 Per Litre, Diesel ₦1,430
- Nigeria’s Net Reserves Soar 772% to $34.8bn – Cardoso
- Dangote Refinery Reduces Petrol Ex-depot Price to ₦1,250
- NMDPRA Urges Expansion of Gas Distribution Infrastructure to Boost Domestic Use
It said the target is anchored on Nigeria’s Updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) climate commitments and provisions of the Guidelines for the management of methane and greenhouse gases in the upstream oil and gas sector.
“As the World marks the 2026 World Environment Day, the NUPRC restates its commitment to zero routine gas flare by 2030 and 60% Methane reduction by 2035,” it stated.
The target of Zero Routine Gas Flaring by 2030
NUPRC’s enforcement of the Zero Routine Gas Flaring by 2030 mandate marks a critical shift from penalty-driven regulations to a market-enforced, commercialised model.
While Nigeria historically extended its anti-flaring deadlines, the current strategy is legally anchored in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and tied directly to the nation’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP) targets capturing and commercializing 250 to 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscfd) that is currently flared.
The target is also to direct captured gas to supply thermal power plants and microgrids for power generation and processing of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for domestic energy (supporting clean cooking initiatives for millions of households).
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist, scholar and analyst of socioeconomic issues in Nigeria and Africa. He is skilled in energy reporting, business and economy, and holds a master's degree in Mass Communication. He can be reached via @VICTOREZEJA on X