By Mary Izuaka

 

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said it has received a new digital platform designed to strengthen methane emissions monitoring, environmental compliance and data-driven regulatory oversight in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

The platform, known as the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Emission Tracker (NOGIET), was handed over to the Authority to improve how it tracks, verifies and responds to methane emissions across the petroleum value chain.

The Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC), Mustapha Lamorde, received the platform on behalf of the Authority Chief Executive, Rabiu Umar, NMDPRA said in a statement posted on its official X handle on Monday.

According to the statement, the platform was developed through the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), with support from the Global Methane Hub (GMH), in collaboration with NMDPRA and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

NOGIET integrates satellite methane detections, facility information, regulatory mapping and verified emissions data into a single web-based application.

With the tool, NMDPRA will be able to identify emission hotspots, prioritise inspections, monitor emissions trends and support targeted interventions to reduce methane emissions.

The initiative is also expected to strengthen coordination between NMDPRA and NUPRC, while supporting measurement-based emissions reporting and more effective environmental regulation.

The NMDPRA said a two-day onboarding and User Acceptance Test was conducted on 22 and 23 October, with its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) team participating.

“Initial feedback indicated satisfaction with the application, particularly its integration with the Authority’s existing platform.

“As part of the handover arrangements, the complete application, including backend access, configurations and source code, will be transferred to NMDPRA to ensure institutional control, maintenance and future development,” the statement said.

It said SDN and GMH have also expressed willingness to provide continued technical support at no cost, alongside access to satellite data facilitated by the project partners.

NMDPRA said the initiative underscores its commitment to leveraging technology, reliable emissions data and strategic collaboration to strengthen environmental protection, improve regulatory efficiency and promote responsible operations across Nigeria’s petroleum industry.

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Last week, NUPRC said it has strengthened its drive to achieve Nigeria’s 60 per cent methane emissions reduction target by 2035 with the handover of NOGIET.

What is Methane

Methane is the main component of natural gas, making up roughly 70 to 90 per cent of it. This means that when natural gas leaks, what is mostly released into the air is methane.

It is the second most impactful greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide (CO₂). Although it exists in smaller quantities in the atmosphere than CO₂, it traps heat much more effectively. In simple terms, to “trap heat” means methane prevents some of the sun’s warmth from escaping back into space by absorbing and holding that heat, then releasing it into the atmosphere.

As methane concentrations increase, they intensify the greenhouse effect, contributing to global warming and climate change.