|By Babatunji Wusu
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) has spotlighted Nigeria’s aggressive push to cut greenhouse gas emissions, projecting the country as a global leader in shaping acceptable operational standards for oil and gas companies.
GECF Secretary General, Dr. Philip Mshelbila, said Nigeria’s actions on methane reduction offer the world a clear, practical model for curbing emissions and slowing climate change. He spoke on Monday during a panel session at the 2026 International LNG Conference in Doha, Qatar.
Mshelbila pointed to the establishment and sustained operations of Nigeria LNG (NLNG) as a turning point in the country’s emissions record, noting that gas flaring volumes have dropped by more than 40 per cent over the past 26 years. By monetising associated gas, NLNG has curtailed environmental damage while deploying new technologies and asset upgrades to drive further reductions.
Speaking on the panel themed “Tackling Methane Emissions in the LNG Sector,” Mshelbila, a former Managing Director of NLNG, also highlighted government-led initiatives aimed at commercialising Nigeria’s vast gas reserves, estimated at about 200 trillion cubic feet.
Central to this strategy is the Decade of Gas initiative, which runs from 2021 to 2030 and seeks to reposition gas as Nigeria’s transition fuel. The programme targets expanded energy access, higher government revenues and accelerated industrialisation to support long-term economic growth.
Under the initiative, Nigeria is pushing for a shift to compressed natural gas (CNG) for transportation, replacing kerosene and charcoal with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for household cooking, and increasing gas-fired power generation. These measures align with the country’s goal of achieving universal energy access by 2030.
Mshelbila also said Nigeria is leveraging increased gas exports to drive broader economic growth, while placing green finance at the heart of its energy transition strategy.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently reinforced this approach with the announcement of a $2 billion National Climate Change Fund at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week summit. The fund is designed to attract private and international capital to finance emissions-reduction projects and strengthen climate resilience.
According to Tinubu, Nigeria’s Climate Investment Platform is expected to mobilise at least $500 million for climate-resilient infrastructure across key sectors of the economy, citing rising investor demand for climate-linked financial instruments as proof of growing confidence in Nigeria’s sustainability agenda.
Mshelbila said Nigeria’s policy direction aligns with the GECF’s decarbonisation framework, which promotes carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and blue hydrogen as pathways to meeting global climate targets. He added that GECF member countries are advancing technologies to cut emissions from existing gas assets.
Other panelists, including Kavita Ahluwalia of Uniper, Ken West of Honeywell, and Arnaud Lenail-Chouteau of TotalEnergies, stressed the importance of collaboration among gas-producing nations to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.
They warned that sanctions and rigid timelines imposed on countries lacking access to clean technologies could undermine the global energy transition. Echoing this view, Mshelbila cautioned that excluding countries from global markets for missing set deadlines could trigger trade disruptions and widen inequality in the energy transition.
