The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) says it has removed over 1.7 million kilograms of solid waste from the Ogoni creeks and treated more than 937,000 litres of oily sludge from mangrove sediment as part of ongoing environmental remediation in Rivers State.
HYPREP Project Coordinator, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, made this known during the agency’s first quarterly youth interactive session held Tuesday in Port Harcourt. The event brought together young people from across Ogoniland to discuss project milestones, address community concerns, and encourage youth participation in the cleanup process.
Zabbey reported that the shoreline remediation project has reached 39.4 percent completion, while the mangrove restoration effort stands at 86 percent. He emphasized the community-based nature of the initiative and reiterated HYPREP’s commitment to protecting the environment and improving livelihoods in line with its mandate.
“As a community-based project, we understand the urgency of protecting the environment and improving livelihoods. I assure you that we are working tirelessly to deliver this,” he said.
Beyond waste evacuation, HYPREP is also fast-tracking potable water provision to impacted communities. According to Zabbey, water facilities commissioned in February 2025 in Beeri and Bunu communities (in Khana and Tai LGAs, respectively) have brought the total number of operational water systems to 10, now supplying clean water to 30 communities.
Construction is ongoing in several others, including Bodo, Uegwere-Boue, Gwara, Taabaa, Okwale, Aleto, Kaani, Deken, K-Dere, and Borobara, with plans to commission these new facilities in the third quarter of 2025.
Zabbey also announced that the long-awaited Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER) in Wiyaakara would be commissioned this year, reinforcing the project’s commitment to knowledge-sharing and capacity-building.
He further stressed that HYPREP’s livelihood restoration programs will continue to offer skills training and economic opportunities for Ogoni youths, encouraging them to take active roles in the region’s recovery and transformation.
“We urge you to remain committed to constructive engagement. Embrace dialogue and negotiation as your most potent tools for resolving conflicts and driving progress,” Zabbey told the youth participants.
Echoing this message, Associate Professor Sorbarikor Lebura challenged youths to ensure that projects are not only completed on time but also protected from vandalism or unnecessary interference.
“Every project has a timeline. If a project isn’t meeting specifications, it’s your job to speak out—constructively and with the aim of improving what is done,” he stated.
Comrade Ledogo Amabu, Coordinator of the Joint Representative Council of Ogoni Youth Groups, praised the interactive session as timely and impactful. He said it reflected the openness of HYPREP’s leadership and its willingness to carry the youth along.
“We have a Project Coordinator who is youth-friendly and accessible. Under his leadership, students have been empowered, and the youths are in full support of this kind of engagement,” Amabu noted.
