An international coalition of environmental rights advocates and academics has expressed strong interest in partnering with the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to expand environmental remediation efforts to other polluted communities across the Niger Delta.
The delegation, operating under the International Working Group on Petroleum Pollution and Just Energy Transition, made this known during a debriefing session at HYPREP’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, following an inspection tour of several remediation and development projects in Ogoni communities.
Leader of the delegation, Dr Isaac Osuoka, said members of the group were highly impressed by the progress recorded by HYPREP in implementing the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report on Ogoniland.
According to him, the team was particularly encouraged by achievements in key thematic areas, including the construction of the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, the Ogoni Specialist Hospital, mangrove restoration projects, provision of potable water, and land remediation initiatives.
“We are really impressed with what you’ve done and believe there could be possibilities for collaboration, seeing what is on the ground,” Osuoka said.
He noted that the successes recorded by HYPREP should not only be sustained but also replicated in other environmentally degraded communities across the Niger Delta.
Responding, HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, expressed appreciation for the visit and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to fully implementing the UNEP recommendations.
Professor Zabbey said that HYPREP has completed potable water projects in 49 communities, while several ongoing projects have reached between 90 and 96 per cent completion.
He explained that HYPREP’s mandate extends beyond Ogoniland, stressing that the agency is developing a remediation model that can be deployed in other impacted areas across the Niger Delta and beyond.
“HYPREP is not just for Ogoni. What we are doing is creating a workable model for environmental remediation and sustainable development,” he said.
The Project Coordinator also highlighted HYPREP’s community-driven approach to mangrove restoration, noting that the agency has developed a globally relevant restoration manual and introduced innovative technologies such as the “Growcoon” system for mangrove nurseries and planting.
According to him, HYPREP is collaborating with universities on research into the possible use of Nypa palm in producing environmentally friendly Growcoon materials.
On livelihood programmes, Professor Zabbey said that more than 7,000 community workers have been engaged under the project, while about 3,000 beneficiaries have received International Maritime Organization (IMO) training and certification, alongside other vocational skills development programmes.
He further informed the delegation that the Ogoni wetlands had recently been recognised and designated as a Ramsar Site of International Importance under the Convention on Wetlands.
Earlier during the visit, the group toured several HYPREP facilities and project sites in Ogoni, including the reticulated potable water facility in Kporghor, Tai Local Government Area; the mangrove restoration site in Bomu, Gokana LGA; the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration and Ogoni Power Project in Wiiyaakara, Khana LGA; the Ogoni Specialist Hospital in Kpite, Tai LGA; and land and groundwater remediation sites in Eleme LGA.
While commending the impact of the Ogoni cleanup initiative, the delegation noted that the scale of environmental degradation across the Niger Delta requires broader intervention.
The group called on the Federal Government, international oil companies, and other extractive industry operators to support the extension of remediation efforts to all environmentally impacted communities in the region.
