Nigeria recorded a 12 per cent increase in gas flaring in 2024, contributing significantly to global carbon pollution, despite only a modest 3 per cent rise in oil production, according to the World Bank’s latest Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report.
The report, released by the World Bank’s Global Flaring and Methane Reduction Partnership (GFMR), found that gas flaring globally hit its highest level since 2007, with 151 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas burned an increase of 3 bcm over 2023. Nigeria was among the top nine flaring countries, alongside Russia, Iran, Iraq, the United States, Venezuela, Algeria, Libya, and Mexico. Together, they accounted for 75 per cent of global flaring.
In Nigeria, the flare intensity measured by the volume of gas flared per barrel of oil produced rose from 11.0 cubic metres per barrel in 2023 to 12.0 in 2024. This is more than double the global average and signals a worsening environmental trend despite pledges to reduce emissions.
The increase in flaring came primarily from upstream oil and gas facilities operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and a host of smaller, mainly indigenous companies. These entities were responsible for 60 per cent of Nigeria’s total flaring and contributed to 75 per cent of the annual increase.
The report attributes the surge partly to the divestment of onshore assets by international oil companies, with new operators lacking the technical expertise or financing to implement gas capture or utilisation projects. Some smaller operators, the report notes, may be prioritising oil revenues amidst high global prices, leading to increased flaring of associated gas.
Financial constraints also continue to dog NNPC, especially in joint ventures where the state oil company is a non-operating partner. The World Bank warned that these funding limitations, alongside unresolved regulatory and commercial issues, have hindered Nigeria’s ability to use associated gas for domestic power generation even as millions remain without reliable electricity.
Gas export options remain limited, particularly for smaller companies, many of which lack access to necessary infrastructure. Fields that flare gas are often isolated and economically unviable for gas recovery projects, the report added.
In response to these challenges, Nigeria launched the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP) in 2020. By the end of 2023, contracts were awarded to 38 companies to tackle over 40 flare sites, and four companies were selected to develop projects at an additional nine sites using a clustering model to achieve scale and reduce costs.
Despite these efforts, the World Bank said flaring has remained “stubbornly high” globally over the past 15 years. The practice, often driven by lax regulations and minimal penalties, remains a major source of carbon emissions. In 2024 alone, gas flaring added an estimated 389 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent to the atmosphere comparable to the annual emissions of France.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has called for the elimination of routine flaring by 2030, except in emergencies. According to the World Bank, the gas flared last year could have been worth $63 billion at European Union import prices enough to cover more than half the global investment needed to end the practice entirely.
