Global Methane Pledge (GMP) Champions: Towards Increased Financial Support for Methane Reduction in Nigeria

Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is responsible for approximately half a degree Celsius of current global warming, with a warming potential 80 times greater than carbon dioxide over its first 20 years in the atmosphere. 

Nigeria, as a Global Methane Champion, is committed to reducing methane emissions, especially from the oil and gas sector, through collaborative efforts with various international organizations and regulatory bodies such as Clean Air Task Force (CATF), Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). 

The introduction of Nigeria’s Methane Emission Guidelines and the incorporation of methane reduction into the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets have demonstrated the nation’s commitment to tackling this issue. Despite these initiatives, significant financial resources are required to achieve the 61% methane reduction target outlined in Nigeria’s NDC by 2031. The upcoming side event at COP29 will serve as a platform to discuss strategies for increasing financial support to sustain and accelerate methane reduction efforts, showcase achievements to date, and highlight areas requiring urgent intervention to ensure Nigeria’s methane reduction goals are met.

Nigeria joined the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) in 2012 as a partner to address Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs). A National Action Plan to Reduce Short Lived Climate Pollutants was developed and endorsed by the Federal Executive Council in 2019 to address Mitigation of SLCPs. 

In 2021, Nigeria became the first country in the Africa region to express methane abatement ambitions through its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and committed to a net-zero target by 2060. The country included SLCP abatement in its Revised NDC with a 60% reduction in fugitive methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 2031, conditional on international support. It is, therefore, expedient that Nigeria presents her scorecard on methane emission reduction and the need to attract climate finance to actualise the emission reduction target set by the country.