•Nothing justifies the quantum of gas flared daily in the country
Nothing demonstrates better the utter disinterestedness of successive Nigerian governments as regards the plight of the country’s citizenry than the indiscriminate, arbitrary and large scale flaring of gas in the oil-producing regions of the Niger Delta. Neither the multinational oil companies that make huge profits from oil exploration, drilling and export from Nigeria nor the country’s governments exhibited any genuine concern for those who suffer the devastating and destructive effects of gas flaring.
Of course, there is a limit to which the oil companies can be held responsible for the gas flaring. After all, they are not charitable organisations but are in business to make profit. If they are thus confronted with governments that lack the will or are too corrupt to enforce stringent laws in the oil industry, the oil companies will simply make their money and turn a blind eye to the lives and environment they wreck in the process. In those countries where state authorities stringently enforce environmental laws, the oil companies readily comply with stipulated safety standards.
Ordinarily, the declaration by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), that Nigeria intends, with the support of the National Assembly, to sign the United Nations (UN) agreement on zero routine gas flaring by 2030 should be a cause for optimism and joy. The Vice President spoke on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari at the opening in Abuja of the 6th African Petroleum Congress and Exhibition, attended by oil and energy ministers from several African countries as well as chieftains in the oil and gas sectors. However, many Nigerians can be excused if they take Osinbajo’s assertion with a pinch of salt. After all, they had heard the same pledge made over and over again in futility by several past administrations.
Professor Osinbajo’s opening address on the occasion demonstrated awareness by the administration of the severity of the gas flaring challenge in Nigeria and Africa. According to him, of over 150 billion cubic metres of associated gas flared globally, “Africa flares an estimated 40 billion cubic metres and Nigeria about half that amount”. From the standpoint of a continent in dire need of scarce revenues to overcome the challenges of underdevelopment and offer its people a more meaningful life, this level of gas flaring is nothing but inexcusable waste. As Osinbajo cryptically put it, “there is also the gas-to-power challenge in many member-states and the paradox of much gas but precious little to fire power plants”.
With its huge population, immense infrastructure gap and virtual collapse of critical social services like education and health, Nigeria in particular has no justifiable reason for condoning the mindless flaring of its gas for so long. The Associated Gas Reinjection Act of 1979 provided the first regulatory framework aimed at checking gas flaring in the country. That legislation set a target date of 1984 for the termination of gas flaring. However, the law has been amended several times and new deadlines set with no one sure of when the exact deadline will now be. As Professor Osinbajo noted, the earlier target of 2020 to end gas flaring has now been extended to 2030.
Beyond the unpardonable economic waste of a valuable national asset, flaring constitutes a serious environmental hazard as it causes air pollution that leads to the depletion of the ozone layer with serious negative implications for the weather and climate. The people who live in the areas where flaring takes place are also vulnerable to respiratory and other diseases.
Of course, no one can blame the Buhari administration for a problem which it inherited from successive administrations. But as an administration that has pledged its commitment to change, it must demonstrate the political will to take necessary steps now to ensure that the 2030 deadline becomes irreversible.