Abuja: The Federal Government has called on development partners, donor agencies, and the diplomatic community to deepen support for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to complete the Ogoniland restoration programme. The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, made this appeal at the Conference on Donor Facilitation and Diplomatic Support Engagement for HYPREP in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the conference aimed to review progress in implementing the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report recommendations on Ogoniland and strengthen partnerships to sustain the project. Minister Lawal expressed appreciation to UNEP for its leadership and technical support, highlighting the UNEP Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland as the scientific foundation for the remediation programme. He noted that HYPREP has made significant achievements, including remediating hundreds of hectares of hydrocarbon-polluted land and providing potable water schemes to affected communities.
The minister also highlighted ongoing large-scale mangrove restoration projects to revive ecosystems and improve biodiversity, alongside the construction of modern healthcare facilities to enhance access to quality healthcare services. Additionally, the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration is being developed as a hub for environmental research, innovation, and capacity building in Africa. Despite these achievements, Lawal emphasized the need for sustained financial and technical support, continuous environmental monitoring, infrastructure maintenance, and long-term community development interventions to fully implement the UNEP recommendations.
Mr. Emmanuel Deeyah, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ogoni Trust Fund Incorporated, spoke about the environmental crisis in Ogoniland caused by decades of oil pollution, which contaminated water sources, farmlands, and fishing areas. Deeyah stated that the UNEP report recommended oil companies contribute one billion dollars every five years over a 30-year period for the cleanup, but the expected funds have not materialized. He urged international communities, partners, multilateral agencies, and financial institutions for financial support, technical expertise, and strategic partnership.
Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, Project Coordinator at HYPREP, echoed the call for increased funding to address outstanding remediation and infrastructure needs. Zabbey identified the remediation of 18 high-risk sites with soil and groundwater contamination in populated communities as a priority requiring urgent funding. He also mentioned the need for support to remediate 120 additional polluted sites identified after the UNEP assessment and to extend potable water projects to all remaining Ogoni communities.