By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

Nigeria’s current efforts in abating methane emissions has received a boost as two forward-looking Civil Society Organizations, the Environmental Centre for Oil Spills and Gas Flaring (ECOSGF) and the African Initiative for Transparency, Accountability, and Responsible Leadership (AfriTAL) have received funding to carry out activities to reduce methane from anthropogenic sources, including research and advocacy with other civil society organizations (CSOs).

A Communiqué issued at the end of the stakeholders’ meeting on methane abatement in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital, commended TrustAfrica for providing the take-off seed fund for the project in February 2024, and called on
other funding partners to collaborate with ECOSGF and AfriTAL to achieve their project goals.

The Communiqué also recommended proper Liaising with the National Council on Climate Change and other climate change actors for the necessary information to assist in birthing the project objectives, assist in fact-finding, research, and development, carry out documentation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting, and Conduct field visits, training, and engagement with stakeholders.

It recommended the production of public communication materials to increase awareness, conduct advocacy visits to communities, farmers, women’s groups, and environment clubs, Provide capacity building and technology development, and assist with advocacy tools targeting communities and policymakers.

The stakeholders’ also agreed to leverage on structures and platforms of partners to assist ECOSGF and AfriTAL in the enlightenment of communities and policymakers in the various states of the project, while Integrating ways of handling human and agricultural waste into educational curriculums.

Speaking at the occasion, the Executive Director at AfriTAL, Dr. Louis Brown Ogbeifun, stated that the project would focus on decreasing methane emissions from anthropogenic sources such as human wastes, landfills, the rearing of ruminant animals, rice cultivation, and other agricultural processes.

He noted that, from the information gathered so far, there is a lack of knowledge about anthropogenic methane and its hazards to human health.
He stressed that Nigeria’s methane emissions situation is more precarious because methane emissions from oil and gas activities like gas flares, pipeline vandalism, artisanal refining, etc., are already high; hence, CSOs must advocate for its curtailment as soon as possible.

He presented the scope of the initial methane abatement in Nigeria project to be carried out with a particular focus on anthropogenic causes within four pilot states in Nigeria, namely, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers states in the Niger Delta, including:
• Equipping CSOs and the Media with knowledge and advocacy tools for “Methane Action;”
• Encouraging governmental entities to be more proactive in methane abatement and
• Increased awareness and interest by farmers and livestock owners on the effect of improperly disposed wastes and their impacts on humans.

In his presentation, Rev. Fr. Edward Obi, MSP, a Director with the Environmental Centre for Oil Spillage and Gas Flaring, stressed that CSOs could do a lot to lessen the impact of global warming, and he was happy to be a part of the methane abatement project.

He reiterated that 60% of global methane emissions come from anthropogenic sources, especially agriculture, citing examples from cows’ feeding habits.

To bolster the need for urgency in methane abatement, he played a video, “Meet the Methane, the Invisible Climate Villain” which shows that emissions from 1 landfill in Beuno Aires cause an equivalent to pollution from 1.4 million cars, stressing that the project is timely in addressing the issue of climate change.

In attendance at the stakeholders’ meeting were the Center for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD), Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), We the People (WTP), MarkDeen Agro, Peace Point Development Foundation (PPDF), Healthy Life Development Initiative (HLDI), Care and Development Centre (CADEC), MAO Media, Gaden City Radio, and Africa Independent
Television (AIT).