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By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has commenced hearing on the National Commission for Decommissioning of Oil and Gas Installations (NC-DOGI) Bill, 2024, aimed at creating a regulatory body to oversee the safe dismantling, removal, and environmental restoration of oil and gas facilities across the country.

In his welcome address, chairman of the Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) , Rep. Alhassan Doguwa said the public hearing was part of the legislative process to ensure transparency, inclusiveness, and public participation in lawmaking.

According to him,  the proposed commission seeks to address longstanding challenges associated with the abandonment and decommissioning of oil and gas installations, which have continued to pose environmental, economic, and social risks—particularly to host communities in the Niger Delta and other oil-producing areas.

“This bill is a significant legislative proposal because it touches on the welfare of our people, the protection of our environment, and the livelihoods of host communities.

“It reflects parliament’s commitment to ensuring that the growth of the oil and gas sector aligns with environmental responsibility and sustainable community development”, Doguwa stated.

Reps. Doguwa explained that the session was a platform to get different perspectives that will guide the committee and House toward an informed legislative outcome.

“Our role is to listen objectively, collate all viewpoints, and evaluate them carefully before presenting our recommendations to the House,” he explained.

The Chairman noted that while the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) already provides for decommissioning and abandonment under Sections 232 and 233—assigning roles to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (MDPRA)—the growing scale and complexity of decommissioning activities may warrant a specialised institution.

He said the hearing was designed to examine if the existing framework was sufficient or a dedicated Commission will better serve the national interest.

“We encourage all participants to engage constructively and present evidence-based submissions that will help shape a balanced, effective, and sustainable framework for managing decommissioning activities in the oil and gas sector,” Doguwa said.
He restated the commitment of the committee to ensure that the outcome of the public hearing strengthens Nigeria’s environmental governance and safeguards the well-being of oil-producing communities.