Gas Flare Fines Belong to Polluted Communities -Coalition

Environmental organisations have called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to urgently review Executive Order 9, insisting that gas flaring penalties should serve strictly as deterrents against environmental violations rather than as a source of government revenue. Speaking at a World Press Conference in Abuja, the coalition argued that remitting these penalties into the Federation Account is an injustice to Niger Delta communities, who suffer severe health and environmental consequences from decades of gas flaring. Scientific evidence links flaring to respiratory illnesses, cancers, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss, yet Nigeria remains a top gas-flaring nation due to weak enforcement.

The groups stated that under Executive Order 9, penalties paid by oil companies are channelled into the Federation Account through NNPC Ltd., effectively turning environmental violations into government income while affected communities receive little remediation. They cited a 2019 Supreme Court ruling affirming the right to a clean environment and the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, which mandates that gas flare penalty funds be used for gas infrastructure and community development. Reports by NEITI and National Assembly committees reveal persistent flaring, high default rates, and weak enforcement, with significant penalty funds allegedly held by the Central Bank of Nigeria for years.

The coalition warned that redirecting these funds without legislative approval would violate existing laws and constitutional processes. They urged the President to take immediate action by removing gas flaring penalties from the Federation Account and ensuring that all accrued and future funds are dedicated exclusively to environmental remediation, health interventions, and sustainable development in the Niger Delta. This, they argued, would align with the Supreme Court’s recognition of environmental rights as integral to the right to life.

The organisations stressed that penalties must function as true deterrents, emphasising that “penalising pollution must never become a business model.” They called on the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to prioritise the welfare of oil-producing communities, warning that sustainable peace in the region remains fragile without visible environmental justice and accountability.