The Nigerian government has launched a satellite tracking system to detect gas flaring by international oil companies mostly in the Niger delta region.
The Minister of Environment, Mrs Laurentia Mallam, launched the tracker on Thursday in Abuja.
She said Nigeria could raise a whopping $1.1 billion yearly as fines from international oil companies that engage in gas flaring in the oil producing communities.
Communities in the Niger delta are constantly afflicted with gas flaring which spreads toxic smoke and chemicals over their means of livelihood.
The Federal Government has made several attempts and promises to stop flaring from oil wells in the region by setting a deadline and the latest of such deadlines had passed without stopping the poisonous flames.
Now it has deployed a satellite tracking system to end the gas flaring.
Meeting Energy Needs
One aspect of gas flaring that had not been tapped is its use for power generation.
The Minister said that, if harnessed, gas flaring could meet 40 per cent of energy needs in Nigeria but the government must first surmount the challenge of illegal flaring.
Truly Immense Impact
The National Co-ordinator, National Coalition on Gas Flaring and Oil Spills in Niger Delta, Edward Obi, said that the impact of the gas flaring was having adverse effect on farmlands in the region, emphasising that the satellite would help in proper monitoring of activities of the drilling companies.
The impact of gas flaring is truly immense. At least 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide are expelled each year through the flaring of gas in Nigeria and the world is now watching to see how efficiently the government would tackle the challenge using the latest technology.