By Jeremy Godson
March 28, 2024
Groups, led by Environmental Centre for Oil Spills and Gas Flaring (ECOSGF) and the African Initiative for Transparency, Accountability, and Responsible Leadership (AfriTAL), have moved to cut down at least 45 percent of human induced methane emissions.
By doing so, the stakeholders who rose in Port Harcourt last weekend mapped out plans to begin the war against emissions. This is said to be because methane emission from human sources is said to have doubled the volume emitted from fossil fuel sources.
The objective is to cut down at least 255,000 deaths and 775,000 asthma-related hospital cases in one year. This is said to be what a mere 45 percent reduction of methane emission would achieve, according to the Nigerian stakeholders who quoted Global Methane Assessment.
Methane (CH4) is said to be the second most significant contributor to emissions after carbon dioxide (CO2), which has caused about a 30-percent rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution.
Methane is indicated as an odourless, colourless, flammable gas that enters the atmosphere via natural sources and human-related (anthropogenic) activities. It is formed from the decay of natural materials in landfills, marshes, septic systems, sewers, pit toilets, compressed dustbins, coal, gas, etc. It is used in manufacturing organic chemicals and as fuel for lighting and heating.
This is said to be the major reason some of the stakeholders showed concern about the issues associated with methane emissions in Nigeria.
ECOSGF and AfriTAL said they have worked to get funding to carry out activities to reduce methane from anthropogenic sources, including research and advocacy with civil society organizations (CSOs).
Their main worry is that while contending with and focusing on methane emissions from oil and gas production, little attention is paid to emissions from anthropogenic sources linked to mans natural activities like farming, waste management, etc.
The researchers say methane emissions from food waste, food systems emissions, trash, landfills, livestock breeding, and bush burning, contribute about 60 percent of global emissions, but they dont seem to have the type of attention carbon dioxide has concerning climate change.
It has been proved that emissions from one landfill are able to overtake emissions from 1.4 million cars.
A report at the end of the conference in Port Harcourt said in February 2024, TrustAfrica provided a take-off seed fund for the project. It is hoped that as the project progresses, other funding partners will show interest in collaborating with ECOSGF and AfriTAL to achieve their project goals, according to the report.
In his opening remarks, Dr Louis Brown Ogbeifun, Executive Director at AfriTAL, 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 thus far, there is a lack of knowledge about anthropogenic methane and its hazards to human health.
He stressed that Nigerias 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.
Rev/Dr Edward Obi of the Environmental Centre for Oil Spillage and Gas Flaring said CSOs could do a lot to lessen the impact of global warming.
Goodwill messages were given by organizations such as Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), Peace Point Development Foundation (PPDF), Centre for Environment and Human Rights (CHERD), and We the People (WTP).
The Civil Society Organizations who overwhelmingly complemented TrustAfrica and the methane abatement partners agreed to carry out a long list of actions including liaising with the National Council on Climate Change and other climate change actors for the necessary information to assist in birthing the project objectives.
They also agreed to assist in fact-finding, research and developments, conduct field visits, and provide capacity building and technology development to support the campaign.¦ target to save 235,000 lives, prevent 775,000 asthma cases
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The Nigerian Observer is a daily newspaper published in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, since 1968 by the Bendel Newspapers Company Limited (BNCL) and is owned by the Edo State Government
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