The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has declared March 18 as ‘Upstream Decarbonisation Day’ as part of the country’s commitment to energy transition and sustainability.
The Commission Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Gbenga Komolafe, made the announcement on Tuesday at the Decarbonisation and Energy Sustainability Forum in Abuja.
He emphasized that Nigeria remains dedicated to decarbonization efforts while ensuring that its oil and gas resources are strategically utilized for economic growth.
Komolafe also noted that the energy policies of former U.S. President Donald Trump align with Nigeria’s energy transition approach, particularly in leveraging natural gas as a transitional fuel.
“The global leaders’ stance has also opened the door for Nigeria, and Africa as a whole, to chart its own transition pathway that balances climate action with economic growth and energy security,” he stated.
Nigeria, with 37.5 billion barrels of crude oil and 209.26 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, intends to use these resources to finance its transition to cleaner energy rather than abruptly abandoning hydrocarbons.
Komolafe’s remarks follow statements made by U.S. Energy Secretary, Chris Wright, at the 2025 CERAWeek by S&P Global, where Wright criticized Western nations for discouraging Africa from utilizing its hydrocarbon resources.
“Africa has enormous natural resources and we’ve had years of Western countries, including my own, shamelessly saying, don’t develop coal. Do not develop coal. Coal is nasty. That is plain rubbish. Complete nonsense,” Wright remarked.
He contended that coal and hydrocarbons have long played an important role in global energy supply and will continue to do so for decades.
While emphasising the significance of a just energy transition, Komolafe noted many government-backed programs targeted at lowering carbon emissions and ensuring Nigerians’ access to energy.
These include, National Gas Policy (NGP) of 2017, National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP) of 2021, Decade of Gas Initiative (to be achieved by 2030), Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative (Pi-CNG), Presidential Executive Order 40 (introduced in 2024), Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP).
Komolafe described these initiatives as transformative efforts that remove barriers to gas development while unlocking new opportunities for investment and growth.
To drive Nigeria’s decarbonisation goals, the NUPRC has set up an Energy Sustainability and Carbon Management Department.
The department will focus on comprehensive decarbonization strategies and ensuring Nigeria’s oil and gas sector aligns with global best practices.
In his concluding remarks, Komolafe formally declared March 18 as Upstream Decarbonisation Day, stating:
“I hereby seize this defining moment to declare March 18th as Upstream Decarbonisation Day: a day that will stand as a symbol of our commitment, a rallying point for action, a reminder of our responsibility to reinforce our sustainability efforts, and accelerate our drive towards a cleaner, more resilient future.”
With this proclamation, Nigeria underlines its commitment to balancing economic growth, energy security, and climate action, all while ensuring that hydrocarbon resources are used responsibly to ensure a sustainable future.
