Methane Emissions Reduction: Group Pushes Host Communities to Take Action
By: Abudu Olalekan
Host communities in oil producing communities in Nigeria are being reminded to stop being spectators. The Network Advancement Programme For Poverty and Disaster Risk Reduction is calling for more participation in monitoring and reducing methane emissions in their environment from extractive activities.
The NAPPDRR Executive Director, Emem Edoho, urged host communities to embrace the initiative in a town hall meeting held in Ibeno Local Government Area. The meeting was held in Akwa Ibom State on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
Edoho said that the meeting, which was a capacity strengthening workshop on methane emissions reduction, marked an opportunity for an improved environmental justice and community engagement in the extractive sector.
It was organized by the Network Advancement Programme For Poverty and Disaster Risk Reduction otherwise called NAPPDRR and Policy Alert with the support of Centre for Journalism Innovation And Development known as CJID and funded by the Natural Resource Governance Institute or NRGI.
The NAPPDRR boss noted that the exclusion of host communities in critical climate change and energy policy discussions was a concern because those who feel the impact of pollution and environmental degradation were the ones directly affected by the extractive activities.
“There can be no meaningful methane emission control without the active engagement of stakeholders, including the host communities who bear the brunt of gas emissions and pollution in their environment,” said Edoho
While the extractive sector constituted an essential pillar of Nigeria’s economy, the environmental and health costs of extractive activities were primarily borne by the host communities, he added.
“This meeting was convened to create awareness among stakeholders on the importance of methane emission as well as equip them with requisite skills and knowledge to promote transparency and accountability in the upstream petroleum sector and natural gas sector,”said Edoho
The workshop aimed to enhance stakeholder’s understanding of methane emissions, its implication for public health, environment, and general well-being as well as build capacities for effective community engagement and environmental governance.
“The objective was also to capacitate community focal persons on the basics of methane emission monitoring and engage them in environmental governance to empower them to monitor operators and regulators in their communities,” he added.
Whatever the input of the host communities, it would contribute to evidence-based policy advocacy and improve environmental governance in the upstream petroleum and gas sector, Edoho noted. He added that the partnership was an intervention to ensure that community engagement in Nigeria’s extractive sector was sustained.
According to him, such evidence generated would enhance transparency, accountability, and sustainable management of the country’s natural resources.
“Therefore, I want to reassure the stakeholders present that NAPPDRR, Policy Alert, and CJID are here to stay and will continue to add value in making the voice of host communities heard in Nigeria’s natural resources governance,” said Edoho.
Edoho said the workshops were an opportunity for participants to interact, share experiences, and agree on strategies for sustainable environmental governance. He expressed optimism that the meeting would lead to practical and lasting solutions to environmental governance challenges in the state rather than hot air and lip service.
The town hall meeting was held with traditional rulers, community leaders, and representatives of women and youths groups from five oil producing local government authorities (LGAs) namely: Ibeno, Esit Eket, Mbo, Onna, and Eastern Obolo.
They adopted a communiqué calling for decisive measures to reduce methane emissions and strengthen environmental governance in the state.
Olalekan A. Abudu is a seasoned and dedicated News Journalist at REPORTERS ROOM, with over eight years of experience. He specializes in politics, climate change, health, and education, while also covering security, economic, and judicial issues. Committed to accuracy and balanced reporting, Olalekan exemplifies the principles of public-interest journalism.
