HYPREP Expresses Commitment to Fulfilling Implementation of UNEP Report in Ogoni

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has expressed commitment to achieving the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report in the remediation and restoration of the Ogoni degraded environment.

The federal government agency made the commitment while commemorating the 14th year of the UNEP release for the environmental assessment of Ogoni.

The UNEP report which was released on August 4, 2011, 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.

The report signaled 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.

Speaking on the report, EnuolareMba-Nwigoh, Head of Communications HYPREP, said 14 years after the UNEP report and the establishment of the agency, 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.

He 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”.

Mba-Nwigoh noted that 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 stands 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, 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)”.

He added that the achievements were chronicled in the Project Scorecard presented by the Project Coordinator, Prof NenibariniZabbey, to Ogoni Stakeholders on June 26, 2025, adding that the dedication and dexterity deployed by previous leaders have taken the Project far.

“It is the innovation, inclusivity and a bottom-top approach to programmeconceptualisation and implementation, proactive and strategic paradigms of Prof. NenibariniZabbey, Project Coordinator of HYPREP, under the supervision of the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, that has 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 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”.

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

Mba-Nwigoh added “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”.