There were mixed reactions as the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) ended. The International Energy Agency (IEA) said more commitments are needed than what was agreed if we are serious about limiting global warming by the 1.5 degrees Celsius target by 2030—the 2015 Paris Agreement.
The statement may sound like a disappointment. But when we take our eyes off the controversial delegate list, leaving it to good governance matters, we can say it is refreshing to see Nigeria joining the fight against climate change. It is truly a position that makes citizens proud.
Yes, Nigeria joined Canada, Micronesia, Germany, and Japan, alongside the United States and the European Union, to champion this environmental cause under the Global Methane Pledge (GMP). In total, the Pledge expanded its cohort to 155 governments. As one of the few GMP Champions, Nigeria has committed to implementing domestic actions to reduce methane emissions within its borders.
Methane is a gas that contributes to approximately 17 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and it is responsible for 30 per cent of the current global warming. This is because it can trap heat for over a 100-year period, which makes it more potent than carbon dioxide in contributing to global warming. Beyond its direct warming impact, methane is also the forerunner to tropospheric ozone—another potent greenhouse and air pollutant that causes hundreds of thousands of deaths and hundreds of millions of tons of crop losses each year. So, reducing methane emissions will improve global climate, health, food security, and energy. The goal is to reduce human-made methane emissions by at least 30 per cent from 2020 levels by 2030.
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Nigeria began demonstrating good intent to participate in global methane emission reduction. The initiative was reflected in the new Methane Guidelines issued by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission in 2022. The guidelines compel companies in the energy sector to adopt immediate and effective measures to mitigate methane release, beginning with the deployment of leak detection and repair protocols across oil and gas infrastructure. These guidelines show Nigeria’s commitment to slashing global methane emissions.
However, looking at the factors that contribute to global methane emissions, Nigeria is focusing on only one factor. A World Bank report in 2022 evidenced that 96 per cent of methane originates from three sources: agriculture, energy, and sanitation/waste.
Specifically, agriculture alone is the source of approximately 41% of these emissions, arising from practices like rice cultivation, the burning of agricultural waste, manure management, and the digestive processes of livestock such as cows and sheep. The energy sector needs to catch up, contributing around 35 per cent through activities such as oil and gas extraction, pumping, transportation, and coal mining. Additionally, the sanitation and waste sectors contribute about 20 per cent, primarily through emissions from landfills and the treatment of wastewater.
So, focusing regulations on the energy sector, which accounts for a substantial portion of methane emissions, is a decent step; on the contrary, the larger agricultural sector’s contribution, which surpasses that of energy, suggests that an opportunity remains for Nigeria to increase its methane mitigation efforts where the potential for emission reduction is even greater. As a GMP Champion, Nigeria needs to adopt agricultural sector regulations to complement the existing energy sector regulations to meet the Paris Agreement target by 2030, as suggested by the IEA.
The low-hanging fruit in the agricultural sector is livestock farming. Scientists say the world’s 1.5 billion cattle, each producing up to 500 litres of methane a day, are significant contributors to climate change. Cows produce methane through digestion and release it mostly through silent belching, as well as farting.
In the first instance, Nigeria could join the United Kingdom’s proactive trial on reducing methane emissions through methane-reducing feed additives for cows to tackle its agricultural emissions. The UK methane suppressants are made from chemicals or natural ingredients such as seaweed. The ongoing trial fits well with this administration’s way of doing things, only that this one has a clear scientific direction and objectivity behind it.
Secondly, engaging in public awareness campaigns about the benefits of vegetarian diets, offering a demand-side solution to reduce reliance on consuming animal meat and dairy. Implementing these measures, inspired by international efforts, can aid Nigeria in achieving substantial reductions in agricultural methane emissions.
Thirdly, Nigeria could implement a policy directive that incentivises selective breeding programmes aimed at developing cows and sheep with lower methane emissions. The policy should endorse and support the practice of rotational grazing, which can enhance pasture health and promote carbon capture, thus reducing methane emissions intensity.
Adopting policies for selective breeding and rotational grazing in Nigeria could serve as catalysts for easing the herder-farmer crisis. By fostering healthier pastures through rotational grazing, the necessity for herders to encroach on farmlands would decrease, directly addressing one of the conflict’s root causes. Selective breeding for low methane emissions may enhance feed efficiency, improving the economic standing of herders and potentially lessening economic-driven tensions.
Similarly, these initiatives would benefit from government-supported research, extension services to disseminate best practices, financial incentives to encourage uptake by farmers, and integration into agricultural education curricula to ensure a generational shift towards more sustainable livestock management.
But, as in many cases, the true test lies in the implementation of these measures in Nigeria.
