President Bola Tinubu said Nigeria is committed to eliminating oil and the emission of methane from the gas sector, aligning with a worldwide strategy to control releases that contribute to climate change.
He addressed a global leaders’ gathering dedicated to Methane and other Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases during the ongoing United Nations Climate Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“We are committed to critical steps to reduce methane emissions by ensuring flared gases are eliminated. There’s a huge penalty for that,” he said.
“There is equally a huge incentive to do so. The measures that we are taking here are a welcome development.”
“I can assure you that we will be the partners in progress to achieve renewables. We are committed to the energy mix,” the Nigerian leader, dressed in his signature flowing blue agbada, circular-rimmed spectacles with a cap, told the gathering on Saturday
“We are providing cooking gas to our large population. We will continue to do that. We set off on the reduction of methane. Will we leverage new technology.”
President Tinubu was accompanied by COP28 President Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, China’s climate change envoy Xie Zhenhua, and U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry, who emphasized the pressing need for immediate action.
Kerry highlighted that the United States has implemented measures to significantly decrease methane emissions from its oil and gas activities.
Methane often escapes into the atmosphere unnoticed from drilling sites, gas pipelines, and other oil and gas infrastructure. With a greater warming potential than carbon dioxide, methane also breaks down faster in the atmosphere.