More than 8,500 direct jobs have been created for Ogoni youths through the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), while over 2,400 others have received training in specialised skills as part of efforts to restore and develop the region.
The Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, disclosed this during the agency’s quarterly interactive session with Ogoni youths, organised to mark the 10th anniversary of the Ogoni clean-up.
He said 1,432 community workers had also been engaged in shoreline clean-up and mangrove restoration, while women accounted for 45 per cent of HYPREP’s community workforce.
Zabbey further disclosed that 300 Ogoni persons with special needs had received training in five skill areas, noting that the interventions were designed to create opportunities for different groups within the community.
He urged the youths to embrace peaceful engagement, unity and dialogue, emphasising that lasting environmental recovery and development required a peaceful atmosphere.
“The future of Ogoni cannot be secured through conflict and division,” Zabbey said, encouraging young people to address their concerns through dialogue and constructive engagement.
He also announced that approval had been granted for the disbursement of grants to Ogoni postgraduate scholarship beneficiaries, subject to the completion of outstanding administrative procedures.
According to him, HYPREP’s ongoing initiatives in environmental remediation, potable water supply, healthcare, electricity and livelihood support were aimed at improving living conditions and securing a prosperous future for Ogoniland.
Speaking at the event, the Project Support Lead and Joint Venture Representative of Renaissance Africa Energy Company, Engineer Ehioze Igbinomwanhia, commended the implementation of HYPREP’s programmes.
“I doubt if you would find a project that has been as impactful as HYPREP in achieving its objectives,” Igbinomwanhia said.
He noted that inspections of several project sites had shown that the facilities were of good quality, mentioning the 100-bed hospital, the cottage hospital in Ogba/Egbema, the Centre of Excellence and the power projects.
Igbinomwanhia also pointed to signs of ecological recovery, saying the reappearance of wildlife, vegetation and aquatic species suggested that environmental restoration was making progress.
“We are happy to see that animals, the flora and the fauna have returned back to Ogoniland. The fishermen can see periwinkles again, so life is returning back to Ogoniland,” he said.
He disclosed that more than 30 water projects were under construction across Ogoniland, with a combined capacity of over 15 million litres, adding that Renaissance Africa Energy Company remained committed to supporting the restoration process.
The session featured an interactive question-and-answer segment where participants raised concerns and sought further information about the clean-up and other HYPREP programmes.
Stakeholders commended HYPREP for engaging young people and calling for continued cooperation to advance environmental restoration and sustainable development in Ogoniland.
