Methane Abatement

To support Nigeria’s Global Methane Pledge commitments to better monitor, reduce, and harness methane emissions towards its 2031 goal of reducing fugitive methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 61 percent. Approach. Methane abatement is an emerging field for USAID/Nigeria, and we aim to tap into the expertise of local organizations and private companies already active in this sector to co-design a project that mitigates current and/or projected methane emissions in Nigeria. USAID/Nigeria encourages concepts with innovative or pilot approaches that use or develop tools, methods and/or business models to promote practices. We look for a partner who understands the current landscape of actors and proposes a concept that works within existing systems and government agencies to avoid duplication while engaging regularly with the oil and gas sector to ensure sustainability. A successful concept will focus on methane abatement, but will suggest holistic ways to support the environment that has been negatively impacted due to climate change and the oil and gas sector, specifically the mangrove forests. Geographic Focus. The target region of this activity is the Niger Delta. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas which traps heat and contributes to the overall warming of the planet thereby exacerbating climate change. It is the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide but is more than 80 times as potent in trapping heat in the atmosphere. Methane emissions must be reduced by 45 percent by 2030 to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Improved management and utilization of Nigeria’s methane emissions is crucial to mitigating Nigeria’s contribution to climate change. Nigeria is the seventh largest methane emitter in the world and the largest in Africa with 235 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2022. As Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria’s methane emissions come primarily from its energy sector, with additional significant contributions from its agriculture and waste sectors. Nigeria was the largest gas flarer in 2022 with 5.3 billion m3 flared amounting to $610 million of unrealized revenue which could be used to generate power for millions of Nigerians. The International Energy Agency methane tracker estimates that about 71 percent of emissions from the oil and gas sector in Nigeria can be abated, half of which can be abated at no net cost. In recent years, Nigeria has committed to better monitor, reduce, and harness methane emissions, in part by joining the Global Methane Pledge in 2021 and enacting a methane guideline for the oil and gas sector in 2022, the first African country to do so. Despite these efforts, major gaps remain in implementing methane abatement activities in the country. The Nigerian government lacks fugitive methane emission estimation capabilities and relies on oil and gas companies’ self reported flare data. Meanwhile, there are not sufficient incentives for oil and gas companies to reduce methane emissions, and the infrastructure for converting flares for captive generation remains absent. The goal of this activity is to reduce current and/or projected methane emissions in Nigeria's oil and gas sector to contribute towards attaining Nigeria’s methane pledge.