By Abbas Nazil
Stakeholders have called for urgent action to close accountability gaps in methane emissions, warning that unchecked releases threaten lives, destroy livelihoods, degrade ecosystems and undermine Nigeria’s climate commitments.
The call was made on January 29, 2026, during a closed-door stakeholder dialogue and documentary screening in Abuja that focused on the human cost of methane emissions in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region.
The event was convened by the Natural Resource Governance Institute and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, bringing together community leaders, civil society actors and policy experts.
Participants warned that methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas and the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide, is causing widespread environmental and socioeconomic harm in oil-producing communities.
Stakeholders blamed unaccountable methane emissions for declining agricultural yields, polluted land and water, rising poverty and worsening public health outcomes across affected areas.
A documentary screened at the event featured testimonies from Niger Delta residents who reported increased respiratory illnesses, degraded farmlands and falling fish stocks linked to gas flaring and persistent methane leaks.
Community members said prolonged exposure to emissions has transformed once-productive environments into zones of hardship and vulnerability.
Mrs Ayibakuro Warder, a women leader from Ikarama community in Okordia clan of Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, said methane-driven climate change has devastated farming and fishing livelihoods.
She explained that farms now produce barely enough to feed families, while fishing has declined sharply due to pollution of rivers and creeks.
According to her, cassava harvests have reduced to tiny tubers compared to previous years, making survival increasingly difficult for rural households.
She added that the loss of livelihoods has been accompanied by unfamiliar diseases and a rise in crime as residents struggle to cope.
Similarly, Chief Zion Kientei, the traditional leader of Lasukugbene community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, lamented the absence of proper environmental oversight.
He said two indigenous oil companies operating in his community failed to conduct comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments before commencing operations.
Chief Kientei stressed that EIAs issued by the Federal Ministry of Environment are legally required to assess environmental and health risks associated with oil and gas projects.
He warned that without EIAs, companies operate without environmental management plans, leaving communities exposed to serious health and ecological dangers.
Earlier, the Country Manager of the Natural Resource Governance Institute, Mrs Tengi George-Ikoli, said methane emissions pose severe economic, environmental and health risks that demand coordinated action.
She urged the government to move beyond policy formulation to effective enforcement of existing regulations.
George-Ikoli also called for stronger collaboration among civil society organisations to promote best practices, educate communities and amplify local voices.
She stressed the need for Nigeria to establish comprehensive methane emission monitoring systems before 2027.
She urged oil and gas companies to publicly disclose their methane emission data to relevant institutions including the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
According to her, empowering regulatory agencies is critical to ensure compliance across the sector.
She also encouraged companies to deploy technologies that capture methane before it escapes into the atmosphere.
She noted that methane, as the main component of natural gas, can be harnessed for electricity generation, heating and industrial fuel instead of being wasted.
George-Ikoli said the experiences of oil-producing communities reveal a wide gap between Nigeria’s climate policy ambitions and realities on the ground.
She added that while Nigeria has made policy commitments, methane remains a daily health and livelihood challenge for many communities.
The documentary, produced by Policy Alert and We The People with support from NRGI, was described as a powerful reminder of the urgent need to strengthen monitoring, enforcement and accountability in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.