HYPREP vows full implementation of UNEP environmental report on Ogoni

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), vowed full implement the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Assessment report on Ogoni.

It would be recalled that the report was released on August 4, 2011, by the UNEP on the Environmental Assessment of Ogoni.

This was contained in a statement issued yesterday by Enuolare Mba-Nwigoh, Head of Communications HYPREP.

It said the report detailed the devastating effects of hydrocarbon pollution on the environment and the livelihoods of the people, thereby making feasible recommendations for the remediation and restoration of impacted communities.

“This bold step signalled the federal government’s commitment to address decades of environmental concerns in the Niger Delta sternly and further heralds a transformative developmental trajectory for the Ogoni people.

“Fourteen years after the release of the infamous UNEP report and the establishment of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), a glimmer of hope now beckons from the horizon, transforming a once seemingly bleak and despairing situation into one of opportunities, boundless possibilities, and a reassuring future for the communities and posterity.”

The statement said the implementation of the UNEP report’s recommendations by HYPREP has made its spirit and letter a reality, expressing and interpreting its tenets in ways that place the people at the core of the environmental remediation and restoration of livelihood efforts.

“Today, through the thematic areas drawn from its two cardinal mandates of environmental remediation and livelihood restoration, HYPREP has recorded tremendous successes in soil and groundwater remediation, shoreline cleanup, mangrove restoration; provision of potable water, public health interventions, construction of the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER), Construction of the Ogoni Power Project (OPP) and sustainable livelihoods.

“We are pleased to confirm that we are on track in our noble quest to fulfil the Project’s core objectives. This is evident in the scorecard so far. In remediation, we have completed and obtained NOSDRA’s closeout certification for 50 lots in the Simple-Risk sites. The ongoing remediation of medium-risk complex sites, involving remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater, is 38% complete.  The Phase 1 shoreline cleanup and mangrove restoration stand at 56% and 93% completed, respectively.

“Similarly, notable achievements have been recorded in the construction of the CEER, which is currently at 90%. Additionally, Ogoni Specialist Hospital and Buan Cottage Hospital are at 86% and 98% complete, respectively. The provision of potable water has gained momentum, with 30 communities already having access to water. Four additional gigantic water projects will be commissioned in the next three years, which will increase the number of communities in Ogoni with reticulated potable water to 42. Phase 1 of the Ogoni Power Project is over 40% complete, while more than 5,000 Ogoni youths and women have been trained in 20 skill sets.

“With over 7,000 direct jobs created, the Ogoni Cleanup programme is revolutionising the socio-economic landscape of the region, empowering people and families, contributing to peacebuilding and security, and improving the Human Development Index (HDI), while aligning with almost all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

More of these achievements were chronicled in the Project Scorecard presented by the Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, to Ogoni Stakeholders on June 26, 2025.

“The dedication and dexterity deployed by previous leaders have taken the Project this far. Still, it is the innovation, inclusivity and a bottom-top approach to programme conceptualisation and implementation, proactive and strategic paradigms of Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, Project Coordinator of HYPREP, under the supervision of the Hon. Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, that have buoyed efforts to deliver a people-centred, sustainable and fit-for-purpose cleanup programme in Ogoni.

“In demonstrating a greater commitment to the swift implementation of the UNEP Report, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, has prioritised the Ogoni Cleanup through the Presidential Directive. The directive prioritises the remediation of the environment and ensures that the Ogoni people benefit from the cleanup efforts.

“We are further encouraged by the fact that the Ogoni people are benefiting from the full range of deliverables from the various projects and are active participants, working closely with HYPREP for effective project delivery.

“Furthermore, we are particularly interested in sustaining these gains. This is why we are building collaborative partnerships across strata, including the development of technical and administrative frameworks to achieve a sustainable cleanup programme.

“We are also mindful of the daunting public expectations from stakeholders, both within and outside Nigeria, and pledge our commitment to developing knowledge products and legacies that will be useful for the restoration of land and the protection of posterity.

“Finally, community support remains the life wire of the Ogoni Cleanup project. As we look forward to covering more ground, HYPREP remains grateful to the tremendous support it has received from governments, the diplomatic community, the Ogoni people, and other stakeholders, and kindly implore that this support be maintained. Communities should continue to provide a congenial atmosphere for Project activities, protect the facilities and desist from acts that would re-pollute the environment.”