Environmental experts Engr Charles Deigh and Dr Caleb Joel Nwaogwugwu have provided suggestions for resolving gas flaring in the Niger Delta. The oil experts, in separate statements on Sunday, highlighted that gas flaring remains a significant regional challenge, contributing to climate change and escalating health risks.
Deigh explained that gas flaring persists despite government commitments and programs like the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP) because marginal oil fields produce small, dispersed gas volumes that large pipelines and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants cannot economically process. He advocated for Nigeria to adopt models successfully used by other nations, focusing on small-scale gas-to-power plants and micro-LNG facilities to capture waste gas and convert it into electricity, fuel, and jobs.
Deigh argued that while large LNG projects require a consistent, high-volume flow, marginal fields can instead support modular technologies, specifically micro-LNG plants that can liquefy 5–50 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd) for distribution. Similarly, small gas-to-power plants can be situated near host communities to supply power to mini-grids and industrial clusters.
He listed three major advantages to these modular models: Lower Costs (slashing upfront capital and shortening payback), Flexibility (units can scale with production, avoiding stranded assets), and Community Dividends (local power generation creates jobs, minimizes blackouts, and improves community relations, thereby reducing sabotage risks).
Deigh stressed that technology alone is insufficient and called for regulatory certainty for investors, proposing three urgent steps: Regulatory Efficiency (streamlining licensing, tariffs, and permits, as bureaucracy hinders deals), Demand Security (guaranteeing reliable buyers through predictable pricing and risk-sharing frameworks), and Aggregation Models (pooling gas from nearby fields into centralized mini-LNG or power plants to reduce costs and attract serious investment). He concluded that if these enablers are aligned, the NGFCP can finally transition from mere pledges to tangible projects.
Dr. Caleb Joel Nwaogwugwu, another oil sector expert, stated that gas flaring is not inevitable but rather a consequence of neglect. He affirmed that Nigeria possesses the necessary technology, skilled personnel, and policies to end the practice, but it lacks urgency. Caleb argued that Nigeria must decide whether to continue “burning its wealth into the atmosphere” or transform that wasted energy into “lasting prosperity.” He believes that with sufficient political will, regulatory reform, and bold investment in small-scale solutions, the Niger Delta can move “from flare to fortune.”
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