Bill to prohibit gas flaring scale second reading at Reps

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives, on Thursday passed for second reading, a bill for an act to prohibit gas flaring, encourage commodity utilisation, and provide for penalties and remedies for gas flaring violations.
The Sponsored of the bill, Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos), revealed that the proposed legislation seeks to prohibit the flaring and venting of natural gas, except in strictly regulated circumstances, while encouraging the utilisation of gas resources to foster economic growth and energy generation.
The bill aims to mitigate the environmental, health, and economic impacts of gas flaring, aligning Nigeria’s oil and gas operations with international climate change commitments.
Offenders, who violate the provisions of the proposed law would face stringent penalties, including fines of $5 per 1,000 standard cubic feet of gas flared and potential suspension of operations for repeat violations.
Leading debate on the general principles of the bill, Benson said gas flaring has plagued Nigeria for decades, leading to severe environmental degradation, public health crises, and economic losses while it environmentally, contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, and acid rain, exacerbating climate challenges.
The lawmaker said public health impacts of the practice are equally dire, as pollutants from gas flaring cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, particularly among residents of communities close to flaring sites.
He said economically, flaring results in the waste of a valuable resource that could otherwise be harnessed for energy generation or exported to generate revenue.
According to the chairman, House committee on defence, the bill is designed to address those issues while bringing Nigeria in line with global standards such as the Paris Agreement on climate change.
“The bill provides for a comprehensive prohibition of gas flaring except in emergencies or when explicitly authorised by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).