Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, hosted a delegation from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources and Deloitte to deepen collaboration on methane abatement, decarbonisation, and emissions management in Nigeria’s upstream operations.
During the meeting, the Commission Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, emphasised the long-standing partnership between Nigeria and the United States, which spans a range of issues, including energy collaboration. He highlighted the current administration’s commitment, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to strengthen bilateral ties, particularly in the energy sector.
According to him, the Commission is making every effort to further solidify Nigeria-U.S. relations through strategic cooperation on energy matters and value-based partnerships on achieving climate commitments.
Speaking on decarbonisation, Engr. Komolafe outlined NUPRC ‘s initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions. He revealed that the Commission had established the Energy Sustainability and Carbon Management Division, demonstrating its commitment to achieving a sustainable energy future.
He added that the Commission is also working with multilateral agencies, development institutions, and US-based entities such as the US Department of Energy, and the Net-Zero World Initiative to underscore its commitment to collaboration on energy and climate matters. Engr. Komolafe also highlighted the evolving regulatory framework on gas flaring and emissions reduction in Nigeria’s upstream operations which resulted in the issuance of the methane management guidelines in 2022 and the Flaring and Venting Regulations in 2023.
The Commission Chief Executive also highlighted the status of the ongoing implementation of the Nigeria Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme, NGFCP, and outlined the need for credible financing options to enable the achievement of this noteworthy climate action programme.
Komolafe enumerated other areas of cooperation to support Nigeria’s decarbonisation plans including Carbon Capture and Storage, CCS, solutions and the development of carbon credits earning framework to incentivise decarbonisation and emission reduction projects. He called for partnerships in technical collaboration, capacity building, and funding to advance these initiatives.
On their part, the U.S. delegation, led by Robert Lehmann, lauded NUPRC’s efforts in emissions management and decarbonisation. He pledged U.S. support for the Commission’s initiatives, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration.
According to Lehmann, the visiting delegation is encouraged by the Commission’s dedication to emissions reduction. He suggested organising exchanges between U.S. regulators and Nigerian regulators across the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors to share best practices and entrench collaboration.
The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their commitment to tackling climate challenges and enhancing energy sector collaboration for the benefit of both nations and a win-win value proposition. Further discussions to align on specific support actions and partnership opportunities will be held between representatives of both institutions in the coming weeks.
