HYPREP Says Ogoni Oil-Degraded Mangrove Restoration Is 75% Completed
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) announced that 75% of the restoration work on 560 hectares of oil degraded mangrove forest in Ogoni, River State has been completed.
HYPREP also reported that the shoreline cleanup in the area has reached 20% completion rate, and a socio-economic study for Ogoni is scheduled for January 2025.
These updates were presented by HYPREP project coordinator Professor Nenibalini Zabbey at a project review meeting with key Ogoni stakeholders recently in Port Harcourt.
Zabbey stressed the importance of the meeting, saying it was a platform for stakeholders to reflect on HYPREP’s achievements, address challenges, and strengthen collaboration to sustain progress. He said, “Allow me to highlight the important milestones recorded in key areas of the project. ‘The community-led restoration of 560 hectares of oil-degraded mangroves is now 75% complete. Shoreline remediation has reached 20% completion, and soil and groundwater remediation in medium-risk complexes has made significant progress.
Zabbey noted that as remediation progresses, more areas will become available for agriculture, fishing, and other productive uses, improving food security and livelihoods for people in Ogoni and neighboring communities who depend on the ecosystem.
HYPREP also revealed that it is in discussions with the African Development Bank to establish an agro-processing hub in Ogoni. He added, “Construction of the Center of Excellence for Environmental Restoration has reached 70% completion. The facility will serve as a center for vocational training, cutting-edge research, and innovative restoration techniques.
It will also house a repository of HYPREP’s extensive data and experience for future reference. Regarding access to clean water, Zaby emphasized HYPREP’s commitment to improving public health, stating, “We recognize the importance of sustainable access to clean water and are making deliberate efforts to expand these interventions.”
He also noted that HYPREP’s various activities in Ogoni have created more than 7,000 direct and ancillary indirect jobs for youth and women in the Ogoni community. He explained that a unique internship program at the Center of Excellence site for 40 young Ogoni graduates majoring in science and engineering aims to enhance their employability skills.
Zabbey revealed that a socioeconomic survey of Ogoni will begin in January 2025. He said, “This study will help us develop a comprehensive blueprint for Ogoni’s socioeconomic development.
