The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has opened talks with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on a partnership that could improve the wellbeing of communities in Ogoniland, where decades of oil pollution have affected the environment and the people who depend on it.
The Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, met the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos today, 9 October 2026. They discussed areas of shared interest and possible collaboration.
Prof. Zabbey briefed the Director-General on HYPREP’s mandate and its ongoing work in Ogoniland. That work includes restoring the polluted environment and rebuilding sustainable livelihoods.
Public health experts widely link a cleaner environment to safer water, soil and air, and stable incomes help families afford better nutrition and healthcare. Both are central to the long-term health of affected communities.
He also highlighted HYPREP’s skills programmes, which aim to bring more Ogoni youths and women into the maritime sector. The Project has trained 100 Ogoni people in seafaring.
It is currently training 100 youths in commercial diving and underwater welding, and another 100 in rope access. Prof. Zabbey asked NIMASA to collaborate on taking up the trained beneficiaries.
Dr Mobereola commended HYPREP’s remediation and livelihood restoration efforts, particularly its investment in maritime-focused skills. He said NIMASA is willing to work with the Project.
The meeting is an early step toward a formal partnership between the two institutions. If it succeeds, it could turn environmental restoration into wider social and economic benefits. Steady employment for young people and women can reduce hardship and stress in households, and it can improve access to medical care. It would also support the growth of Nigeria’s blue economy.
Neither side has announced details of how the collaboration would work, including timelines or the number of trainees to be absorbed. Further engagements are expected to define the next steps.
