Fourteen years after the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released its damning report on the environmental devastation in Ogoni, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has made significant progress in implementing the report’s recommendations. The programme has recorded notable successes in environmental remediation, livelihood restoration, and infrastructure development.
The programme has completed and obtained certification for 50 lots in Simple-Risk sites, and the ongoing remediation of medium-risk complex sites is 38% complete. The Phase 1 shoreline cleanup and mangrove restoration stand at 56% and 93% completed, respectively.
Additionally, the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER) is 90% complete, while the Ogoni Specialist Hospital and Buan Cottage Hospital are 86% and 98% complete, respectively.
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The provision of potable water has gained momentum, with 30 communities already having access to water. Four additional gigantic water projects will be commissioned soon, increasing the number of communities in Ogoni with reticulated potable water to 42. The Ogoni Power Project is over 40% complete, and more than 5,000 Ogoni youths and women have been trained in 20 skill sets. Over 7,000 direct jobs have been created, revolutionising the socio-economic landscape of the region.
The programme’s success is attributed to the support of the Ogoni people, and HYPREP is calling for continued support and cooperation to ensure the programme’s objectives are met. The Federal Government, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, has prioritised the Ogoni Cleanup programme, and the Minister of Environment has provided oversight and guidance.
As the programme continues to make progress, HYPREP remains committed to sustaining the gains made so far and is working to develop collaborative partnerships and technical frameworks to ensure a sustainable cleanup programme. The programme also aims to develop knowledge products and legacies that will be useful for the restoration of land and the protection of posterity.
