1. 1.0 Introduction
Gas flaring poses significant risks to health, safety and the environment.
Although significant attentions have been given to the subject over the years,
however, the increasing challenges especially in view of climate change,
environmental risks prompts a serious urgency to examine the way out of the
challenges it portends. The nature of impacts from environmental risk
depends on the intensities of extremity in view of resources management and
in consideration of the exposure and vulnerability of human populations and
properties (Oluwasoye and Ugonna, 2014).
Environmental Risk which is the actual or potential threat of adverse effects
on living organisms and the environment by effluents, emissions, wastes,
resource depletion, etc., arising out of an organization’s (oil and gas)
activities”(Christen, 2004). Which could further imply that, environmental
exposures, whether physical, chemical, or biological, from the oil and gas
sector can induce a harmful response and may affect soil, water, air, natural
resources or entire ecosystems (Scheren, 2002).
So the risk is not just a percept to the dangers of technology but an
inherent risk.
Also the Cultural Theory of risk than tends to imply individual
decides on what is, or what not a risk, based on their cultural bias
(Aaron and Karl 1990). This sort of theorem is perceived to be
superstitious as some would argue that certain children have grown
from such environment without any health issues, however the fact
remains that gas flaring harms the environment because in same
locality there are also some others that have health challenges
traceable to the chemicals released from the incomplete combustion
of gases
3.0 Nigeria’s Risk Safety and Governance : The Burning
Issues
The issues faced with environmental risk caused by gas flaring in
Nigeria, the safety and the role of governance is bordered on the
lack of effective monitoring and collective commitments from both
the investors and the government, as tackling the risks are non-
proportional among policymakers and stakeholders. However using
the model below to analyse the evidences of environmental risk, and
governance.
However, it is not surprising as the concern for the environment and
sustainable environmental development tends to significantly differ
between developed and developing countries.
To put this into perspective, while most of the developed countries have
shown real commitment through legislation and enforcement towards
effective management of climate risk, developing countries such as
Nigeria tend to pay lip service. The IOC on the other side have also not
maintained global best practices or uphold the safe tenants of operations
their corporate social responsibility (CSR).
For instance despite the flare down laws in Nigeria, the Nigerian National
Petroleum Company (NNPC) in its 2014, annual statistics bulletin shows
that major oil companies are still violating the 90% gas re-injection policy.
Conclusion
Gas flaring in the oil and gas sector is a basic sources of atmospheric
contaminants that have several consequences on the regional and global
environment. Some of the effects of petroleum associated gas flaring and
venting systems in the oil–producing Niger Delta region include
greenhouse effect, increase in temperature or thermal gradient, human
health problems, poor agricultural yields, acid rain/acidification of
aquatic environment and changes in the ecosystem. However this risk
can be reduced to ALARP with commitment from the government and
policy makers.
Gas Flaring in Nigeria: The Burning Issues
2.0 Critical Analysis
Environmental risk, caused by gas flaring creates enormous challenges for
stakeholders. In this vein, there have been deliberate attempts to manage
environmental risks and gas flaring to as low as reasonably practicable
(ALARP), however, different conceptual models has evolved on this.
Particular interest, within the field of environmental risk management are
some arrays of concepts such as sensitivity, vulnerability, resilience, risk
mitigation, disaster risk reduction, coping capacity, adaptation, adaptive
capacity, discontinuous environmental change, and hyper-turbulent
environment among others have emerged (Adger et al., 2002; Burton et
al., 2002; Luers et al., 2003; Brooks, 2003; IPCC, 2007; Winn et al., 2011).
Based on one of the most widely held theories of risk, the theory of
knowledge that portends in this issue that environmental risk is an
implicit notion that people tend to perceive technology being dangerous
(Aaron and Karl 1990). This school of taught although widely accepted
may not be the case in environmental risk, the immediate effect of gas
flaring in the environment are not farfetched, as they manifest in the
corrosion of corrugated roofing sheet, raise the ambience temperature in
the environment and contamination of rain water which in some cases is
the main source of portable water.
Several research and risk identification, assessment and control
projects have been completed without implementation, because
the commitments to collectively tackle and manage climate risks
are non-proportional among policymakers and stakeholders. The
European Union (EU) demonstrated well-established reputations
towards risk regulation and legislation on climate change, and
adopted regulatory measures aimed at reducing its own carbon
footprint by at least 20% by 2020 (Heyvaert, 2011). In Nigeria, the
legislative instruments such as Associated Gas Re-Injection Act
1979, Oil in Navigable Waters Act 1990, Nigerian Gas Master Plan
2008, Environmental Impacts Assessment Act 1992, National
Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency
Act 2007, and Gas Flaring (Prohibition and Punishment) Act 2009
are some of the initiatives towards the environmental management
of gas flaring and protection of the environment. Through critical
appraisal of the Nigerian petroleum industry, it appears that such
level of commitment as demonstrated by the EU is lacking in
Nigeria and by extension the African Union (AU).
4.0 Controls, Treatments, and Stakeholders

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COVER PAGE
NAME:
SID:
COURSE TITLE:
RISK, SAFETY & GOVERNANCE
COURSE CODE: M38 GED
POSTER TITLE:
Gas Flaring In Nigeria : The
Burning Issues