Nigeria’s Gas Flaring Rises 8% in 2025 as World Bank Flags Top Polluters
The report, released on Tuesday, identified Russia, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Mexico, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria and the United States as the countries responsible for 83 per cent of all gas flared globally during the year.
Despite accounting for just a fraction of global oil-producing nations, these nine countries dominated global flaring activity, while more than 90 other oil-producing countries contributed only 17 per cent of total flaring despite producing 54 per cent of the world’s crude oil.
According to the World Bank, Nigeria’s gas flaring volumes rose by eight per cent in 2025, mirroring an eight per cent increase in crude oil production. However, the country’s flaring intensity remained largely unchanged from the previous year, reflecting persistent challenges in gas capture, utilisation and infrastructure development.
The report noted that while countries such as Mexico, Russia, Algeria and Iran recorded increases in flaring intensity, Venezuela and the United States achieved reductions of 11 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively. Iraq, Libya and Nigeria saw little or no change in flaring intensity compared to 2024.
“The share of total flaring from the top nine flaring countries – Russia, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Mexico, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, and the United States – represents 83 percent of total flaring in 2025,” the report stated.
The World Bank also highlighted that several major oil-producing countries continue to demonstrate that crude oil can be produced with significantly lower levels of gas flaring, underscoring the importance of investments in gas gathering, processing and utilisation infrastructure to curb emissions and reduce waste.
The findings come amid renewed efforts by the Nigerian government and industry stakeholders to monetise associated gas resources, reduce routine flaring and improve domestic gas supply for power generation and industrial use.
