Nigeria regulator delayed anti-gas flaring rules - Premium Times
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission delayed implementing anti-gas flaring rules by nearly two years, complicating efforts to reduce methane emissions. Despite the 2021 Petroleum Industry Act, permits for commercializing flared gas were only issued in late 2025, and transparency regarding progress remains limited.
Why it matters
Regulatory delays in the oil and gas sector hinder environmental compliance and the potential for economic development through gas commercialization in Nigeria.
--> In Nigeria, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) delayed by nearly two years the signing of rules needed to implement a law aimed at reducing gas flaring. According to an investigation by Premium Times Nigeria , this complicated compliance with requirements to reduce methane emissions in the country’s oil and gas industry.
The Petroleum Industry Act, which came into force in August 2021, required natural gas producers to submit plans for the elimination and commercialization of flared gas by August 2022. However, the NUPRC signed rules on gas flaring, gas venting and methane emissions only in May 2023, and they were published in the official gazette in July of that year. The rules gave companies an additional six months to submit their plans.
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