The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has outlined plans to reduce carbon emissions from the country’s oil and gas sector while continuing to support energy security and economic growth at the 2025 Global Energy Show, in Canada.
The chief executive of the commission, Mr Gbenga Komolafe, represented by the Director for Energy Sustainability and Carbon Management, Mr Joseph Olawole Ogunsola, while presenting the plan, explained that Nigeria was working to balance the need for enhanced energy production with environmental responsibility.
He described the global energy transition not as a challenge but as an opportunity to build a future that balances energy, the economy, and the environment.
“The objective of our decarbonization agenda is to future-proof the industry for enhanced global competitiveness in the years ahead,” Mr Komolafe posited.
Speaking on Nigeria’s natural gas as a bridge to an energy-secured future, Mr Komolafe disclosed that Nigeria holds the largest natural gas reserves in Africa, with 210.54 trillion cubic feet and a potential of up to 600 trillion cubic feet, adding that by 2030, natural gas is expected to represent more than 70 per cent of the country’s energy mix.
This, he said, is part of Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, which aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2060 coupled with the government’s launch of the Nigerian Carbon Market Activation Policy, which has potential to generate 2.5 billion dollars by 2030 through carbon trading and emission reduction efforts that has the full backing of President Bola Tinubu who is calling for urgent climate action and aligning Nigeria’s policies, regulations, and investments to support the shift toward cleaner energy.
Mr Komolafe also spoke on strategic initiatives by NUPRC designed to reduce the environmental impact of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, which include, Decarbonization and Sustainability Blueprint, a plan launched in March 2025, focusing on cutting emissions, ending gas flaring, improving efficiency, and using innovative technologies; the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialization Programme (NGFCP), which aims to reduce gas flaring at 49 sites, cutting up to 7 million tons of carbon emissions annually; the Upstream Petroleum Decarbonization Template (UPDT), that ensures emissions reduction and sustainability strategies are part of project planning from the start; and the development of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), through pilot and full scale CCS projects to identify underground sites that could safely store carbon emissions.
Others, according to the CCE, are guidelines for carbon management, and the measurement and reporting systems.
Highlighting the importance of partnerships and opportunities, Mr Komolafe extended an invitation to the Canadian regulators and energy companies to work with Nigeria on sustainable energy practices, where he highlighted AFRIPERF, an initiative led by the NUPRC to galvanize African petroleum regulators in promoting value driven climate responsible energy strategies geared towards enhancing competitiveness and investment attractiveness.
He added that the NUPRC is keenly aware of the role of regulatory certainty, predictability and transparency in attracting investors and that Nigeria is positioning itself not just as a participant but as a leader in the global energy sustainability through effective policies, business-friendly reforms and optimized regulatory practices to valorize Nigeria’s abundant oil and gas resources for shared prosperity.