…raises concerns over gas flaring, reinjection amid lack of commercial frameworks despite abundant reserves

Oredola Adeola

Temitope Ogedengbe, Manager of Energy Transition at NLNG, has called on the Federal Government to design Nigeria’s energy transition strategy in line with the country’s unique realities, warning against a “copy-paste” approach.

He has therefore emphasized the need to balance economic growth, energy security, and national development.

He made this known while giving a presentation as a keynote speaker at the Orient News Nigeria 2025 Conference, held on Thursday in Lagos, while speaking on the theme: “Integrating Nigeria’s Gas Potential into Strategic Energy Transition Initiatives.”

According to him, Nigeria’s energy transition must leverage the country’s unique strengths and resources to grow our economy,”

Ogedengbe said, “Nigeria must design its own, since we need economic development, energy security, and to address developmental issues.”

Speaking on the challenges around gas utilisation, the NLNG Manager lamented that a large portion is still being flared or reinjected due to the absence of viable commercial arrangements, despite Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources.

“We’re not taking nearly the amount we should be. We are still flaring and reinjecting because there is no commercial arrangement to optimise the gas molecule; for many reasons,” he stated.

He pointed out that although gas in marginal fields holds economic potential, it is often uneconomical to produce due to high associated costs.

He noted that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission’s (NUPRC) Gas Flaring Commercialisation Programme is working to tackle those issues.

According to him, a significant chunk of Nigeria’s gas is still either exported or flared, while domestic utilisation and value addition remain underdeveloped.

“We are not investing enough, and we are not examining the right approaches,” he added.

Speaking on the global LNG market, Ogedengbe noted that although there is still a market for LNG produced by Nigeria, demand patterns are shifting, particularly in Europe, where buyers now favour lower-carbon LNG options.

He said, “There is still a market for LNG produced in Nigeria, but what is happening is that Europe is asking for lower-carbon LNG.

“There’s a need to use operational levers to reduce carbon, attract premium markets, and unlock funding opportunities, including through reduced taxes and levies.”

He further stated the NLNG remains central to Nigeria’s gas future, revealing that the company plans to expand its capacity to 30 million tonnes per annum.

” As part of its energy transition strategy, the company is integrating technologies and processes aimed at reducing emissions and generating carbon credits.

“We’re using offsets to reduce our emissions, both at the national and international levels, to take carbon out of the atmosphere and promote our operations,” he explained.

Ogedengbe therefore emphasized the need for a multi-pronged, well-coordinated approach to decarbonising the country’s gas sector to ensure long-term viability and global competitiveness.