Gas Flaring, Permits and Compliance: What the NUPRC’s Latest Approvals Mean for Energy Companies
Nigeria holds Africa's largest natural gas reserves, yet for decades it has flared gas that could have been captured and commercialised. In 2025 alone, Nigeria flared over 4 billion cubic metres of gas, ranking among the top ten flaring countries globally. That reality is now shifting. The Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and the Gas Flaring, Venting and Methane Emissions Regulations 2023 have repositioned associated gas as a commercial resource rather than a disposable by-product. In December 2025, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission issued Permits to Access Flare Gas to 28 companies under the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme, marking the transition from regulatory intent to implementation and opening a decentralised, modular gas utilisation market built around flare sites. This insight examines the regulatory shift from penalties to monetisation, the structure of the NGFCP permits and their binding obligations, the commercial and industrial opportunities created by modular gas capture, and the strategic priorities energy companies must adopt to remain compliant and competitive.








