The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) Resource Centre has called for deliberate sequencing and sustained political will to strengthen reforms in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

The body made the call while unveiling a comprehensive report on petroleum environmental governance in Nigeria.

The report is titled “Nigeria’s Petroleum-Environmental Governance: Law, Policy, and Reform Roadmap.” It was released with support from the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), four years after the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

In a statement on Sunday, the chairman of HEDA, Olanrewaju Suraju, said the report assessed the extent to which the PIA had translated its promises of stronger governance, improved environmental protection, enhanced host community development, and transparency into practical outcomes.

He said that findings showed that, despite the robust legal framework provided by the PIA, implementation gaps persist due to weak enforcement, overlapping institutional mandates, a poor compliance culture, and limited awareness among host communities.

“The persistent challenges around oil spill response, gas flaring, decommissioning obligations, host community development, and beneficial ownership transparency show that key actors still lack adequate tools to drive accountability,” he said.

He said that to tackle these challenges, HEDA, in collaboration with the Environmental Law Research Institute (ELRI), developed a Stakeholder Accountability Tool, along with a Simplified Policy Brief, to complement the report.

According to him, the tools outline statutory obligations under the PIA and other environmental laws, identify key implementation gaps, and provide practical guidance to empower stakeholders to demand compliance and promote environmental stewardship.

He said the report presents a detailed analysis of Nigeria’s petroleum environmental governance landscape, examining legal frameworks, institutional arrangements, and operational mechanisms designed to ensure environmental prevention.

He noted that the report draws on doctrinal research, comparative benchmarking, and stakeholder feedback from surveys and interviews.

Mr Suraju said that while Nigeria possessed the foundational elements of a world-class petroleum environmental governance system, these elements remain fragmented and poorly coordinated.

He said the report recommended clearer institutional mandates, stronger enforcement mechanisms, and improved management of environmental liabilities during divestment and decommissioning.

Mr Suraju added that the report also recommended real-time public access to petroleum-environment data, including emissions, spills, remediation progress, and host community development funding.

On the way forward, Mr Suraju underscored the need for deliberate sequencing of reforms, backed by sustained political will.

He identified priorities including legislative updates, institutional integration, financial assurance systems, strengthened community oversight, capacity building, and improved judicial and administrative efficiency.

“With discipline, transparency, and collaboration, Nigeria can transition from an extractive state to a responsible energy steward that places environmental governance at the centre of sustainable prosperity,” he said.

(NAN)