Stakeholders and experts at a workshop held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, are calling on Niger Delta governments to intensify efforts to curb human-induced methane emissions, warning that these emissions are increasingly threatening the region’s environment and public health.

Hosted by the African Initiative for Transparency, Accountability, and Responsible Leadership (AfriTAL) and funded by TrustAfrica, the event emphasized the urgent need for regional action, community engagement, and a rethinking of waste management practices to reduce emissions and safeguard the region’s future.

In his address, Executive Director of AfriTAL, Brown Ogbeifun, emphasized how daily activities and improper waste disposal contribute to the high levels of methane, a greenhouse gas significantly impacting global warming.

“Methane emissions degrade the environment and contribute to human health hazards if not contained”.

He underscored the need for grassroots action to curb emissions, noting, “We have no control over what government will throw at us, but we do on what we can do.

He further encouraged attendees to adopt innovative solutions, such as biogas digesters, which can turn waste into electricity and cooking fuel.

“Our message of turning waste into wealth will involve the collective efforts of governments, corporate organizations, and us, the people”, he said, underscoring the workshop’s goal to inspire immediate action at local levels.

Echoing the urgency of Ogbeifun’s remarks, Nimi Elele of Nigeria’s Ministry of Environment emphasized that the battle against methane emissions must be tackled at both policy and personal levels, urging a transformation in societal attitudes. “There has to be mind-reengineering,” she said, referring to the need to reshape mindsets and interpretations around waste and resource use. She warned,

“If we do not do anything, the effects of methane gas emissions that we feel today will worsen”.

She encouraged participants to spread awareness, educate at least one person, plant economic trees as actionable steps everyone can take.

Contributing to the dialogue, the Project Officer, Environment Desk, Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) Christopher Nku pointed out the challenges in tracking emissions from non-fossil-fuel sources, emphasizing the solution to it.

“The solution to this is to create awareness on the release and management of this greenhouse gas to the environment; and to consciously be responsible for our actions”.

The call for collective action resonated through the session, with the Director of Veterinary Services at Rivers State’s Ministry of Agriculture, Godswill Ukoikpoko urging attendees to engage with newly formed government bodies.

“There are many things we can do to abate methane emissions in Nigeria. Let us reach out to the new ministry so that we can incorporate some of the methane abatement activities,” he said, signaling the need for cross-sector partnerships”.

The workshop concluded with a shared commitment to continued advocacy, community-level education, and support for methane abatement initiatives across the Niger Delta.