Vom Abfall zum Gewinn: Eine nationale Strategie zur Methanminderung und Verwertung in Nigeria

This policy brief by the Africa Policy Research Institute proposes a national strategy for Nigeria to capture and commercialise methane emissions from its oil and gas sector. It argues that treating methane as a strategic commodity rather than just a pollutant can mitigate climate impact while unlocking significant economic value, improving energy access, and creating jobs.

• Nigeria suffers significant economic losses due to methane emissions from flaring, venting, fugitive leaks, oil-spill biodegradation, polluted sediment flux (specifically in the Ogoni axis), and abandoned wells. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) estimates that 250–300 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd) of gas is wasted, representing an annual loss of USD 1.2–1.4 billion at domestic prices, or over USD 2.5 billion when valued as liquified natural gas (LNG).
• Capturing and commercialising at least 50% of wasted methane in oil and gas systems could generate between USD 1.5 billion and USD 2 billion in annual value for Nigeria. This value would be realised through petrochemical feedstocks, power generation, CNG or micro-LNG solutions, and digital economy applications such as data centres, Bitcoin mining, and artificial intelligence and machine learning workloads. Such a strategy is estimated to create 50,000–80,000 specialised technical jobs.
• The document proposes a phased implementation timeline for methane reduction: a short-term phase in 2026 focusing on MRV system deployment and regulatory reform; a medium-term phase from 2027–2029 to scale gas-to-power and gas-to-use projects; and a long-term phase from 2030–2033 and beyond to phase out routine flaring and venting and remediate abandoned wells.
• A fragmented regulatory landscape is identified as a primary barrier to investment and scaling. The brief recommends a structural review of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and the integration of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) into the PIA framework to create a unified governance structure.

APA

Mahmoud, M. I. (2026). Vom Abfall zum Gewinn: Eine nationale Strategie zur Methanminderung und Verwertung in Nigeria. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/de/vom-abfall-zum-gewinn-eine-nationale-strategie-zur-methanminderung-und-verwertung-in-nigeria-en

Chicago

Mahmoud, Mahmoud Ibrahim. Vom Abfall zum Gewinn: Eine nationale Strategie zur Methanminderung und Verwertung in Nigeria. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2026. https://afripoli.org/de/vom-abfall-zum-gewinn-eine-nationale-strategie-zur-methanminderung-und-verwertung-in-nigeria-en.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mahmoud |first1=Mahmoud Ibrahim |title=Vom Abfall zum Gewinn: Eine nationale Strategie zur Methanminderung und Verwertung in Nigeria |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=1 April 2026 |url=https://afripoli.org/de/vom-abfall-zum-gewinn-eine-nationale-strategie-zur-methanminderung-und-verwertung-in-nigeria-en |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mahmoud2026vom, author = {Mahmoud, Mahmoud Ibrahim}, title = {{Vom Abfall zum Gewinn: Eine nationale Strategie zur Methanminderung und Verwertung in Nigeria}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://afripoli.org/de/vom-abfall-zum-gewinn-eine-nationale-strategie-zur-methanminderung-und-verwertung-in-nigeria-en}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }