A clean-energy company, Energy Ventures B.V., has secured federal government support for a project to turn gas currently being flared in the Niger Delta into electricity for homes and businesses.
The company said the initiative could provide power to about 80,000 connections, potentially benefiting up to 500,000 people across the region.
Speaking in Abuja, Chief Executive Officer Herbert Okibe said the company had engaged the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the Ministry of Power, both of which expressed support for the project.
The initiative already has a pilot project at the Agbada oil field in Rivers State. It is expected to use modular “FlareOut” units developed by FB Group in the Netherlands to convert flared gas into electricity.
Okibe said the project would also help tackle the environmental impact of decades of gas flaring in the Niger Delta by putting wasted gas to productive use.
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The company plans to install smart meters that would provide customers with information about their electricity consumption and help prevent tampering.
Okibe said community engagement with traditional rulers, youths and local electricity committees had helped secure support for the project despite security concerns in parts of the region.
Chief Commercial Officer Yvonne Te Wierik-Chioke said reliable electricity could help residents and businesses plan, expand and improve their livelihoods while reducing pollution from gas flaring.
She said the project could eventually provide a model for similar schemes at more than 100 flare sites across Nigeria.
Okibe acknowledged that the initiative would not solve Nigeria’s power crisis but said it could improve electricity access for local businesses, schools and hospitals while reducing pressure on the national grid.
