Nigeria Decouples Energy Growth from Emissions

Nigeria has made significant strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while increasing its energy supply, according to speakers at the 2026 Nigeria Oil and Gas Energy Week. Ogogome Epecham, a general manager at TotalEnergies, emphasized that decarbonization should be aligned with development priorities and argued that it's possible to expand energy production while cutting emissions.

Epecham pointed to the Ubeta gas project as an example of how this can be achieved. The project is expected to supply 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day and was designed with emissions-reduction measures from the outset, including eliminating routine flaring and using solar-powered systems to cut fuel-gas emissions.

TotalEnergies has also made significant strides in reducing methane emissions through the use of drone-based detection systems and permanent monitoring sensors. The company eliminated routine flaring across all its operated assets in Nigeria in 2023, making it one of the first operators to achieve this milestone.