Environmentalist and delegate at the ongoing National Conference, Nnimmo Bassey, on Monday, put latest figures of Nigeria's loss to gas flaring annually at $2 billion.

Bassey, the founder of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, said the situation has become an economic crime committed by the oil companies involved in flaring.

“This gas that is being flared in the oil fields equally impacts human health as it causes acid rain, cancer, breathing difficulties, skin and other diseases such as bronchitis and asthma and acid rain," he said.

“Communities have experienced a drop in agricultural yields when you get nearer to gas flaring fields. You have to be as far away as at least one kilometre to expect to have fair yields from your crop because some of this gas is being flared in communities.”

He said his committee on the environment at the conference had made far-reaching recommendations aimed at protecting Nigeria’s environment from danger and explained that the conference adopted most of the recommendations of the environment committee, which included outlawing gas flaring.

“We cannot continue to kill our people on the altar of cash; we need to have an environment where people will survive," he said.