Precious Anga
Lagos — The Federal Government has announced that the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, HYPREP, has entered the final stage of the Ogoni cleanup, with remediation now moving to complex pollution sites across Ogoniland.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, disclosed this in Bodo City, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, during the 10th anniversary of the Ogoni Cleanup Project and unveiling of the Ogoni Cleanup Monument.
Lawal said the completion of simple and medium-impact remediation sites had enabled HYPREP to proceed to more complex areas, alongside the commencement of the second phase of the shoreline cleanup. He said the development marked a significant point in the decade-long effort to restore the environment of Ogoniland.
“Ten years ago in this very place, the flag-off of the Ogoni cleanup took place. Today, we return to affirm that commitment. The monument stands as a permanent reminder of a promise made and a promise kept,” Lawal said.
The minister said the programme had recorded progress in soil and groundwater remediation, mangrove restoration, public health interventions and the provision of potable water. He also cited the return of aquatic life to previously polluted waterways as evidence of ecological recovery.
“One of the most important developments is the evidence of ecosystem recovery. The fish, periwinkles, crabs, and shrimps are back. This is vital for the local economy and community livelihoods,” he said.
Lawal also highlighted infrastructure delivered through the programme, including the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, a specialist hostel, a cottage hospital and the Ogoni Power Project. He said the Centre of Excellence was designed to support international collaboration and research in environmental restoration.
The minister further announced the flag-off of Phase II of the shoreline cleanup and disclosed that the four local government areas comprising Ogoniland had received Ramsar accreditation certificates for wetland conservation. He said the designation could create opportunities for increased international support for conservation and sustainable management of the wetlands.
HYPREP Project Coordinator, Professor Nenibari Zabbey, said the transition to complex remediation sites followed the completion of simple and medium-impact sites. He described the Ogoni cleanup as the world’s largest oil remediation project and its mangrove restoration component as the largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves globally.
Zabbey disclosed that 1,420 community workers received International Maritime Organization and Swim Test Certificates as part of Phase II of the shoreline cleanup, taking the total number of direct jobs created for Ogoni youths and women through the project to more than 8,500.
He, however, warned shoreline communities against overharvesting returning aquatic resources and indiscriminate cutting of mangroves, stressing that the ecological gains must be protected to support sustainable livelihoods.
The NUPRC Board Chairman, Senator Magnus Abe, urged Ogoni leaders and residents to work together and avoid actions that could delay projects. “The prosperity and development of Ogoniland cannot wait for anybody anymore. We must move together,” he said.
Abe also called for constructive engagement with HYPREP and government institutions, warning that disruption and division could delay benefits meant for the people. The member representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency, Dumnamene Dekor, meanwhile, appealed for the speedy completion and energisation of the Ogoni Independent Power Project, while Senator Olaka Nwogu urged HYPREP to complement environmental remediation with interventions in education, economic empowerment and community safety.
