In the last decade, Nigeria has reduced its gas flaring from 36% down to 10%. As a result, it has gone from being the second-highest gas-flaring nation in 2006 (flaring 2.5 billion standard cubic feet of gas) to the seventh as of 2016.
This has been achieved through gas commercialisation, which forms part of the country’s gas master plan, says Mallam Bello Rabiu, COO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
According to an Africa Business Communities report, the master plan addresses four critical issues, namely gas availability, infrastructure, the commercialisation framework and affordability – and it is sponsored by oil and gas companies operating in the West African country.
In order to ensure affordability, the master plan also stipulates a lower price for gas supplied to the energy sector, while other industries and manufacturing receive gas at a commercial rate.