Strengthening Corporate Compliance and Public Accountability of Methane Emissions Targets

Nigeria is placing a significant bet on gas as a driver of economic growth and energy security in its decade of gas policy. Yet, rising methane emissions from gas exploration and exports threaten to undercut this vision. These emissions worsen environmental and health risks in oil-producing communities and weaken Nigeria’s climate commitments outlined in national policies such as Nationally Determined Contributions and the Energy Transition Plan at a time when global energy markets are shifting.

Transparency and accountability are key to addressing these challenges. However, fundamental barriers remain, including unreliable emissions data, weak civil society capacity, and regulatory gaps that leave methane reduction efforts fragmented and ineffective.

NRGI has worked to bridge these gaps by engaging policymakers through high-level dialogues and strengthening civil society and media actors to foster informed public discourse. A key milestone was the successful integration of the 2023 Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Standard on greenhouse gas emissions into Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, achieved through a partnership with NEITI. This step marked a breakthrough in emissions transparency, leading to 15 companies publicly disclosing their emissions data. With greater visibility, civil society and media actors intensified their scrutiny, resulting in investigative reports and articles that brought new urgency to methane reduction efforts. 

Building on these gains, NRGI now focuses on expanding emissions disclosures in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector while strengthening the tools available to those who hold government and industry accountable. Central to this effort is targeted training, equipping civil society and media actors with the technical knowledge to interpret NEITI reports and leverage global frameworks and tools—such as the Oil & Gas Climate Initiative, the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter, the OGMP Framework, the evolving EU methane regulations, and satellite-based monitoring tools like MethaneSAT.

To further empower civil society and media with the means to demand accountability, NRGI, in partnership with the Centre for Journalism Innovation & Development, is organizing a two-day workshop that will convene civil society organizations, journalists, and key technical partners to deepen their role in advancing emissions transparency and environmental governance in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Speakers

• Tengi George-Ikoli, Senior Officer, NRGI
• Kathryn McPhail, Chief Executive Officer, EnergyCC
• Georgie Passalaris, Engagement Lead, IMEO
• Sebastian Sehla, Policy Manager, EITI
• Akintunde Babatunde, Executive Director, CJID