Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) has disclosed a dramatic 97% reduction in routine gas flaring from its operations over the past decade, positioning itself as a key player in Nigeria’s domestic gas supply and emissions-reduction efforts.

The announcement came in a press statement delivered on behalf of Mr Olusoga Oduselu, CNL’s General Manager of Corporate Affairs, by Saheed Praise Akinbola during a training workshop held in partnership with the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Warri Correspondents’ Chapel on Tuesday.

The energy major, one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies, attributed the achievement to significant investments in gas-gathering and processing infrastructure. The company said it is now one of the largest contributors of high-quality domestic gas among international oil companies (IOCs) in Nigeria.

Alongside its environmental claims, CNL set out its substantial economic footprint in the country. The company revealed it provides contract opportunities in its projects worth an estimated annual average of over $1 billion, in support of Nigerian content development.

On community development, the statement cited CNL’s legacy of investment, noting “billions of naira” contributed over 16 years through its pioneering Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) model. The company confirmed it has now transitioned to Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs), as mandated by the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.

Further development efforts are channelled through the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), which is impacting hundreds of lives in the Niger Delta and supporting economic empowerment in the region.

CNL concluded by reaffirming its commitment to a dual mission: lowering the carbon intensity of its operations and growing lower-carbon businesses alongside its traditional business lines.

Meanwhile, in a significant push to bolster the Nigerian media, CNL has announced that its 2025 media capacity-building programme will upskill more than 400 journalists by the end of the year.

Mr Oduselu emphasised the company’s belief in the value of developing human capital and underscored the critical role of the press as ‘agenda-setters and opinion-moulders’ in society.

The 2025 programme, which kicked off in Abuja and Lagos in July, is part of a sustained initiative by the international oil and gas company; previous editions were held in 2023 and 2024 across multiple zones.

Beyond the current workshops, CNL also highlighted its flagship Advanced Writing and Reporting Skills (AWARES) programme, run in collaboration with Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos. The company reported that more than 120 journalists have benefited from AWARES since its inception in 2014.

‘Through programmes such as AWARES and this current journalism training, we help to improve professional capacity and build lasting partnerships with our media stakeholders,’ the statement read.

The energy firm positioned this investment in media development as part of its broader corporate philosophy, stating that ‘the success of the larger society invariably translates to success in our business.’

Chairman of the Delta State Council of the NUJ, Comrade Churchill Oyowe, in his remarks, urged colleagues to support capacity-building initiatives and disclosed that a bill to regulate journalism in Nigeria, titled the Journalism Council of Nigeria Bill, will soon be presented to the National Assembly.

On his part, the chairman of the NUJ Warri Correspondents’ Chapel, Okies Okpomor, expressed appreciation to Chevron for sponsoring the capacity-building training.

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