IYC, urges FG, oil firms to stop gas flaring by 2020

Asks govt to kick-start Brass LNG project

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has again called on the Federal Government and oil and gas companies operating in the Niger Delta region to end the incessant gas flaring by 2020.

A statement signed by its spokesman, Daniel Dasimaka, urged the Federal Government to effectively utilise the commercial benefits of the gas that is being flared in the region.

The statement asserted that despite efforts to curb gas flaring and venting in Nigeria, the issue remains a major problem bedeviling the Niger Delta people.He said: “Poor regulation and poor oil field practices have led to environmental, health, social and security problems in the Niger Delta region and for Nigeria. Flaring and venting often constitute a waste of economically-valuable resources and contribute significantly to global warming.”

The IYC, which called on the Federal Government to stop gas flaring in the Niger Delta by ensuring the success of the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP), also called on the Federal Government to speedily kick-start the Brass NLNG project and utilise the gas it is wasting today at the detriment of both the government and the people of the Niger Delta.

He said: “Our research has also shown that with just an investment of $3.5 billion, the government could create over 300,000 direct and indirect new jobs, reduce environmental degradation by eliminating 20 million tonnes of CO2 emissions yearly and generate 2.5 MGW of power and unlock 600,000 metric tonnes of LPG a year.”