The European Union (EU) is enhancing the capacity of Nigerian climate negotiators and stakeholders to mitigate methane Emissions through the United Nations Environment Programme’s International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO). Ms. Marci Baranski, Programme Manager Officer, UNEP’s IMEO, mentioned this at the methane capacity-building workshop for the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry in Abuja. According to Baranski, the workshop signaled the start of the Nigeria Emissions Reduction Program’s operations in the country. The project, which is being carried out by UNEP’s IMEO and sponsored by the EU Delegation to Nigeria, is to create a national baseline for methane emissions in Nigeria that encompasses the waste, oil and gas, and agricultural sectors.
This initiative aims to discover how much methane emissions are caused nationally over a one-year period by the oil and gas industry, waste, and agriculture. Baranski noted that the organization will work with a number of scientific partners both inside and outside of Nigeria to determine the scope of the study in order to do this. The partners, which include Carbon Limits, the European Union Delegation (EUD), the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), and the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), will work together to offer early-career scientists, the corporate sector, and civil servants training and capacity-building initiatives.
Capacity-building would aid in policy implementation.
Dr. Nkiruka Maduekwe, the Director-General/CEO of the National Council on Climate Change, praised Nigeria’s pledge to reduce methane emissions by 2030. With support from the European Union and UNEP, the NCCC Secretariat is spearheading the capacity-building initiative as part of the endeavor. According to Dr. Maduekwe, this training is necessary because adopting research findings and successfully reducing methane emissions require an awareness of the challenges. She noted that the capacity-building initiative would aid in determining the necessary infrastructure, implementation of policies, and utilizing UNEP’s research findings.
Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, one of the biggest in Africa, is mostly responsible for its methane emissions. The nation has long struggled with methane emissions from gas flaring, venting, and leaking pipelines. Methane emissions in the nation are also a result of agricultural practices including Livestock husbandry and waste management. Through UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory, the European Union is providing crucial support for Nigeria’s future and the worldwide effort to combat climate change. Nigeria can significantly reduce the emissions with sustained cooperation, safeguarding the environment and the planet as a whole.
Expertise gained from this collaboration will be essential.
Moreover, this initiative is a component of the global project known as the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030. Nigeria’s unwavering determination to combat climate change is demonstrated by its pledge to cut the emissions, which is backed by the European Union and other international organizations. The expertise and knowledge gained from this collaboration will be essential as Nigeria moves toward more Sustainable Energy sources and upgrades its oil and gas infrastructure. The EU and IMEO have provided a model of how international collaboration can help developing countries address complex environmental challenges.
With the availability of real-time data on methane emissions, the government has been able to develop more successful policy responses. For example, Nigeria’s Ministry of Environment has been able to identify the main sources of methane emissions and implement targeted actions to address them. The cooperation between Nigeria and the EU and IMEO has also improved Nigeria’s involvement in global climate discussions. Nigeria has made a commitment to fulfill aggressive methane reduction targets as part of the Global Methane Pledge, and the EU aid has been essential in making this possible.
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By cutting methane emissions, Nigeria is enhancing the health and well-being of its residents, especially in areas where Gas Flaring and air Pollution are problems. It is also helping to mitigate the effects of climate change worldwide. To overcome obstacles and reap the financial and ecological rewards of reducing methane emissions, sustained cooperation and Investment are essential. Nigeria’s initiative in reducing methane may set an example for other African countries dealing with comparable issues in the near future.