Lagos: The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) Resource Centre has unveiled a landmark report on Nigeria’s petroleum environmental governance, warning that despite the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, critical implementation gaps continue to undermine reforms.
The report, “Nigeria’s Petroleum-Environmental Governance: Law, Policy, and Reform Roadmap”, calls for deliberate sequencing of reforms and sustained political will to strengthen accountability, environmental protection, and host community development in the oil and gas sector.
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.
This is contained in a statement to newsmen in Lagos on Sunday, signed by Chairman of HEDA, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju,
Suraju said that 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 and 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 that 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 protection.
He noted that the report draws on doctrinal research, comparative benchmarking, and stakeholder feedback from surveys and interviews.
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.
He added that the report also recommended real-time public access to petroleum-environment data, including emissions, spills, remediation progress and host community development funding.
Looking ahead, 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.