The House of Representatives in Nigeria has passed the "Anti-Gas Flaring (Prohibition and Enforcement) Bill, 2024" for its second reading.
Sponsored by Babajimi Benson, a member representing Ikorodu federal constituency of Lagos State, the bill aims to address one of Nigeria's most pressing environmental challenges by prohibiting the flaring and venting of natural gas, except under strictly regulated circumstances.
The legislation seeks to mitigate the environmental, health, and economic impacts of gas flaring, aligning Nigeria’s oil and gas operations with international climate change commitments such as the Paris Agreement.
The bill provides a comprehensive framework for enforcement, monitoring, and penalties to ensure compliance. Operators are required to submit and implement Gas Utilisation Plans, detailing how gas that would otherwise be flared will be captured, processed, or commercialised.
Offenders face stringent penalties, including fines of $5 per 1,000 standard cubic feet of gas flared and potential suspension of operations for repeat violations. Additionally, communities affected by gas flaring are entitled to compensation and environmental restoration.
Benson emphasized the dire public health impacts of gas flaring, which include respiratory and cardiovascular diseases among residents near flaring sites. Economically, the practice results in the waste of a valuable resource that could be harnessed for energy generation or exported to generate revenue.
The bill is expected to yield massive benefits by reducing carbon emissions, promoting sustainability, enhancing electricity generation, supporting industrialisation, and creating jobs. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) will oversee the implementation of the bill, ensuring compliance through regular audits and facilitating gas utilisation projects in collaboration with operators and development partners.
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