Nigeria, June 25 -- It was a sunny Wednesday in early June. Yet the persistent buzzing from the Heirs Energies gas plant in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State and the intense heat radiating from its flare stack shrouded the atmosphere in a haze of soot and smoke. A towering yellow flame burned continuously, illuminating the area even in broad daylight.

Dozens of motor mechanics and spare-parts dealers, including Mrs Nkiru and her husband, whose shops are located only a few metres from the facility, have grown accustomed to the constant noise and heat.

Gas flares are a common sight across Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta. For residents of host communities, however, they represent more than a visual spectacle; they are a daily sou...