Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Irish Government and private sector stakeholders have signaled a strong interest in partnering with Nigeria’s Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, to boost the ongoing environmental remediation efforts in Ogoniland, Rivers State.
This fresh momentum comes after the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Peter Ryan, led a delegation including Mr. Paul Van Don Bergh, CEO of Verge Environmental Nigeria, and Mr. Colm Doyle of Global Spectrum Energy Services on a visit to HYPREP’s Port Harcourt office.
The visit aimed to explore collaborative opportunities for environmental sustainability in the Niger Delta.
HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, described the engagement as “a great day in the history of the project,” noting that partnerships with Irish universities and private companies would help solidify the cleanup’s sustainability.
“We are willing to partner with universities and the private sector in Ireland to build local capacity and advance environmental knowledge. This project is a people’s project, and our interventions are being driven by the Ogoni people themselves, from mangrove nursery setup to shoreline cleanup and monitoring.”
Zabbey said the project aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes the Ogoni cleanup.
He highlighted progress made so far: over 5,000 Ogoni youths trained in various skills, more than 7,000 jobs created for youths and women, and educational support provided to over 300 postgraduate students.
“Our mandate is to remediate oil-impacted environments and restore livelihoods. We are restoring degraded mangroves, providing potable water, building a Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, and driving agricultural capacity,” he stated.
Speaking further, Zabbey said HYPREP had been tasked by the Federal Government to contribute to national food security through agriculture.
“Last December, we trained 200 cassava farmers. This year, we are conducting feasibility studies to establish an agro-processing hub that will generate green jobs in Ogoni,” he added.
On the new Centre of Excellence, Zabbey revealed, “This will be a hub for cutting-edge international research, innovation, and knowledge transfer in environmental restoration.”
Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Peter Ryan expressed admiration for the project and its grassroots approach.
“This is a great day, and it’s an honour to be here with Prof. Zabbey and his team. The project is people-focused, and it’s a fantastic opportunity for Ireland to build collaboration in areas such as research, education, and environmental innovation.”
Ryan noted that Ireland has longstanding ties with the region, pointing to historical involvement in education and healthcare.
“We have deep roots in this part of Nigeria. It makes perfect sense to be part of this journey together. I’m impressed with the energy and dedication of the team, it’s clear they care deeply about this community.”
Speaking on potential areas of synergy. We’re fortunate to have private sector leaders from Ireland already involved in aspects of remediation. The Centre of Excellence offers a key opportunity, especially in the education and research sectors.”
Also lending his voice, CEO of Verge Environmental Nigeria,Mr. Paul Van Don Bergh, recounted his first encounter with Ogoni’s environmental challenges.
“My first visit to Ogoniland was in 2012, and I saw the devastation firsthand, the contaminated mangroves, the oil-stained banks. From that moment, I had a strong interest in the restoration of this land. We’ve done some work with HYPREP before, and I’m glad to be back and see how far things have come.”
The proposed collaboration between HYPREP and Ireland’s institutions and businesses is seen as a promising step toward accelerating progress in one of Nigeria’s most high-profile environmental recovery efforts.
