From Christopher Tom, Uyo

Network Advancement Program for Poverty and Disaster Risk Reduction, a Civil Society Organization, committed to good governance and poverty alleviation has exposed that Nigeria has lost over $1.9bn to gas flaring between 2020 to 2024.The Executive Director of the Network Emem Edoho, who disclosed while speaking with journalists in Uyo identified Splat Energy Producing Nigeria Unlimited, as the major culprit.

He said that the discovery followed a painstaking finding by the organization’s undercover team around the SEPLAT’s operational areas after a letter of request under the Freedom of Information Act (FoI) had been forwarded to the SEPLAT’s management without response. He lamented that SEPLAT which recently acquired the assets of the defunct Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited “is still continuing the tradition of gas flaring around its host community – Ibeno local government area of Akwa Ibom state.Edoho regretted that the carbon pollution, environmental degradation and other associated issues of gas flaring have continued to make the Niger Delta region an endangered zone with the population at risk of extinction.”There’s the urgent need to end gas flare pollution. It’s causing severe environmental degradation and climate change. It’s affecting agricultural livelihoods, especially fish farmers because of rising water temperature. Fishes are dying in most fish ponds. Seplat Energy Producing Nigeria Unlimited is denying flaring of gas.””But, our covert environmental investigation right inside Seplat Energy facility at the Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT) as at Friday 28th March, 2025, at 7:30 pm, according to him, “shows they are still flaring tonnes of carbon emissions.Nigeria had lost about $1.9billion Dollars in revenues due to gas flaring between 2020 and 2024. The federal and state governments must put tougher measures to check the menace.”As CSOs, we cannot do it alone. We need the support of the media, nationally and globally to hold polluters like Seplat Energy accountable and transparent in their operations, and compliance with environmental regulations in line with global best practices,” he added.He disclosed that “a recent FOI requests have been submitted to Seplat Energy and NUPRC, seeking detailed information on gas flare pollution, adding that “the request aims to uncover the extent of gas flaring activities, the environmental impacts, and the measures being taken to reduce flaring,” stressing that “this move is part of a broader effort to promote transparency and accountability in the oil and gas industry.”A copy of the letter to SEPLAT Energy made available to Journalists reads: “We are writing to your organization, pursuant to PIA, 2021 and the Regulations, and the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011, to write and demand for records and relevant information, data, including copy of your organization’s Environmental Management Plan concerning your oil and gas exploration activities at the QIT, in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.”He recalled that Nigeria had launched the Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (GFCP) to reduce gas flaring and promote sustainable development, explaining that “The programme aimed to harness flare gas for commercial purposes, thereby reducing waste and environmental pollution.”He, therefore, hoped that “with the NUPRC at the helm, the programme which target to end routine gas flaring by 2030 and contribute to Nigeria’s energy transition journey, could be a mirage if the federal government continues to look the other way, while the gas flaring continues in the region.However, the General Manager (GM) Public and Government Affairs at SEPLAT Energy, Ogechukwu Udeagha, during the recent consultative meeting with stakeholders and the commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources, Rt. Hon. Nsikak Ekong, had assured of a seamless oil exploration activities with the host communities carried along in line with international best practices.