By Chidi Ugwu
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has reported significant progress in its ongoing efforts to restore the environment in Ogoniland, Rivers State. According to the 2025 mid-term scorecard presented by HYPREP, 93% of mangrove restoration work has been completed, while shoreline remediation has reached 53% completion.
Other remediation activities, including construction of a 43-bed Cottage Hospital in Buan at 93% completion, Ogoni Specialist Hospital, a 100-bed facility, at 76% completion,
soil and groundwater cleanup at medium-risk sites, have also advanced substantially.
HYPREP’s community-led restoration of 560 hectares of oil-degraded mangroves is now nearly complete, marking a major milestone in rehabilitating the ecosystem damaged by decades of oil pollution. Shoreline cleanup efforts have similarly made notable progress, with over half of the targeted areas remediated to date.
Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, HYPREP Project Coordinator, acknowledged challenges such as misinformation, chieftaincy disputes, land boundary conflicts, and litigation but emphasized that these are being addressed through dialogue and inclusivity.
He called on Ogoni stakeholders to maintain ownership, cooperation, and vigilance to safeguard the project’s gains.
According to him, the efforts are expected to free up land and water resources for farming, fishing, and other productive uses, thus improving livelihoods for local communities.
Prof. Zabbey, emphasized the importance of stakeholder collaboration in sustaining the momentum of the cleanup.
The project coordinator attributed these achievements to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, especially as it prioritizes the acceleration of the Ogoni Cleanup, fostering environmental justice and providing a template for nation building and sustainable development. He added that HYPREP is contributing meaningfully to this national objective as a symbol of hope and healing.
”The Ogoni Community holds the key to HYPREP’s success. Thus, ownership, cooperation, and vigilance by the people will ensure that these interventions are protected, maintained and maximized for generations to come” the PC stated.
The event featured goodwill messages from prominent Ogoni leaders, including Hon. Emma Deeyah (KAGOTE President), Professor Barineme Fakae (former Rivers State University VC), traditional rulers, and representatives from the Ogoni Mother’s Union. They praised the progress achieved in just two years and lauded the commitment of the Minister of Environment, Mallam Balarabe Abbas Lawal.
HYPREP’s mid-term scorecard underscores the project’s pivotal role in advancing environmental justice, socio-economic development, and sustainable nation-building in Ogoniland.
The initiative stands as a beacon of hope and healing, aligned with the broader goals of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
