The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), in partnership with the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), is set to engage journalists, civil society organisations (CSOs), and other stakeholders in a three-day capacity building and stakeholder engagement workshop. The event, scheduled to take place from Wednesday, 13th to Friday, 15th of March 2024, in Nigeria’s capital, aims to stimulate public discourse on methane emissions reduction in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
According to a statement signed by Akintunde Babatunde, Director of Programmes at CJID, the workshop’s primary objective is to enhance the capacity of CSOs and media personnel, enabling them to effectively raise awareness and contribute to substantive public discussions regarding the urgent implementation of methane emissions reduction strategies within the oil and gas sector.
“Methane (CH4) stands out as the most potent contributor to existing greenhouse gas emissions, contributing around 30 per cent of the rise in global temperatures,” the organisers noted. They added that the oil and gas sector is the largest source of methane emissions from the energy sector, an industry already labelled for its significant contribution to global warming.
Felicia Dairo, the project manager on the Natural Resource and Extractive Programme (NAREP) and climate change at CJID, revealed that the workshop is a blend of policy dialogue by industry experts and capacity building for journalists reporting the extractive sector.
“The workshop aims to equip industry players and journalists with the knowledge and tools to comprehend, monitor, and influence Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to reduce methane emissions,” Dairo said.
“Ultimately, this will contribute to the country’s more successful implementation of methane emissions reduction initiatives,” she added.
Tengi George-Ikoli, the senior programme officer (Nigeria office) at NRGI, noted that the workshop will witness the launch of a guidebook for the media and CSOs.
“The guidebook can be leveraged by them as an accountability tool to better understand the government commitments and ambitions but also leverage that information to meaningfully engage the government in public debate,” George-Ikoli said.
Nigeria, being Africa’s largest oil and gas producer, second only to Angola, faces challenges mitigating emissions from flaring, fugitives, and venting in the oil and gas sector. These emissions contribute to climate change and waste valuable resources. Despite making some commitments to reduce emissions, Nigeria has not implemented them effectively or transparently. This, coupled with a lack of public awareness and industry-level sensitisation, is a blockade from becoming a political priority.
The workshop will commence with a two-day workshop designed to enhance the skills and capacity of journalists and CSOs affiliated with prominent media outlets and organisations with national coverage and broader audience engagement.
This will be followed by a stakeholder engagement on Friday, the 15th of March, featuring the launch of a guidebook on Nigeria’s Energy Transition developed by NRGI and the presentation of the organisation’s findings on Nigeria’s Methane Emissions Reduction Strategies, Challenges and Opportunities.