The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has successfully concluded its Seafarers Training Programme for 100 Ogoni youths, positioning them for opportunities in the competitive global maritime industry.

The beneficiaries, who underwent four months of intensive training at Charkin Maritime Academy, Port Harcourt, received their certificates during a close-out ceremony held on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. The event was attended by top management staff of HYPREP, the HYPREP Project Support Lead and Representative of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, the Executive Director of Training and Strategic Planning of Charkin Maritime Academy, the Head of the Seafaring Department, the Principal Consultant of DCL Consulting Firm, and other dignitaries.

Addressing the graduates, HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, described the ceremony as a celebration of hard work, dedication, and the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of the young beneficiaries.

He said the graduation symbolises vision, resilience, and hope — hope translated into skills, certificates, and tangible opportunities for a better future for Ogoni youths.

According to him, the passing-out ceremony marks an important milestone in HYPREP’s mandate to restore livelihoods and promote sustainable development in Ogoniland. He urged the beneficiaries to make productive use of the skills and certifications acquired.

“These skills and achievements should not end here but serve as a springboard for self-reliance, dignity of labour, and long-term economic empowerment for the good of Ogoniland and Nigeria,” he stated.

Prof. Zabbey noted that the seafaring programme is significant not only to the beneficiaries but also to HYPREP’s broader livelihood restoration strategy and the Federal Government’s blue economy agenda.

He explained that by equipping the youths with globally relevant maritime skills, HYPREP is opening alternative income opportunities while discouraging oil theft, artisanal refining, re-pollution, and other environmentally harmful practices. He added that the initiative aligns with the directives of the 2016 HYPREP Establishment Gazette and reinforces the Project’s commitment to implementing the recommendations of the UNEP Report on Ogoniland.

Commending Charkin Maritime Academy as a dependable training partner, Zabbey described the institution as one of the foremost maritime training centres in the country.

“This partnership has delivered high-quality results today, and we intend to expand it as we intensify efforts to provide sustainable alternative livelihoods for the Ogoni people,” he said.

He expressed confidence in Ogoni youths as drivers of unity, peace, and progress, noting their resilience and commitment to peace in the area. He reaffirmed HYPREP’s commitment to supporting the aspirations of youths and women in Ogoniland.

The Project Coordinator likened knowledge and certificates to fuel in a vehicle, stressing that they are meant to propel the graduates toward greater heights.

“We hear your voices calling for restoration, and today, environmental and livelihood restoration are gradually unfolding before your eyes, bringing renewed hope. We continue to lay brick upon brick, building pillars of Ogoni development, as evidenced by the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER), which is 93 per cent completed,” he added.

He emphasised that HYPREP’s approach integrates all projects and interventions toward achieving environmental sustainability and long-term development in Ogoniland.

Also speaking, the HYPREP Project Support Lead and Representative of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Engr. Ehioze Igbinomwahia, said the graduates had gained not only technical maritime skills but also discipline, resilience, and confidence to compete globally.

He described their graduation as the beginning of a new journey and noted that the UNEP Report emphasised that environmental restoration must be complemented by sustainable livelihoods, capacity building, and youth empowerment.

“Without empowering people, restoration cannot be complete. Programmes such as this maritime training represent practical steps toward creating employment pathways, dignity, and long-term community stability,” he said.

Engr. Igbinomwahia added that Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited remains committed to supporting environmental recovery, human capacity development, and sustainable economic opportunities in Ogoniland and the wider Niger Delta.

Highlighting the importance of discipline and safety, he urged the graduates to be ambassadors of professionalism and integrity.

“The sea you are about to enter is vast and sometimes challenging, but it is also full of opportunity. Let discipline guide your actions, let safety remain your constant companion, and let your character speak for you wherever you go,” he advised.

Similarly, the Executive Director of Training and Strategic Planning at Charkin Maritime Academy, Captain Joseph Awodeha, who represented the Chairman, Dr. Charles Wami, emphasised discipline and safety as critical to career success in the maritime sector.

The Head of the Seafaring Department, Captain Jonathan Hammond, urged the graduates to remain humble and disciplined, noting that such virtues are essential for career growth.

In his remarks, the Principal Consultant of DCL Consulting Firm, Barrister Dornu Baridan, commended the beneficiaries for successfully scaling through the
rigorous selection process and completing their training as seafarers.

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to wetlands protection and ecosystem restoration, highlighting significant progress in mangrove restoration and shoreline cleanup in Ogoniland, Rivers State.

In a statement issued by HYPREP to mark this year’s World Wetlands Day on Monday, February 2, 2026,and signed by the Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, the Project said its ongoing mangrove restoration programme in Ogoni is delivering tangible environmental and socio-economic benefits by combining modern science with indigenous traditional knowledge.

The World Wetlands Day 2026 is observed under the theme, “Wetlands And Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage.”
According to Zabbey, the theme aligns strongly with the Project’s restoration approach, which integrates scientific best practices with community-led stewardship rooted in local culture.

He disclosed that Phase One of HYPREP’s mangrove restoration programme has successfully restored about 560 hectares of oil-degraded mangrove ecosystem, while Phase One of the Ogoni shoreline cleanup has reached over 76 per cent completion. These efforts, he noted, are already yielding encouraging signs of biodiversity recovery across affected creeks and improving the livelihoods of host communities.

The Project Coordinator explained that the mangrove restoration initiative is science-based and involves large-scale planting of five native mangrove species, carefully designed to mimic the natural zonation of black, white and red mangroves found in Ogoni creeks, saying, the Project also adheres strictly to health, safety and environmental (HSE) standards to ensure sustainability, inclusiveness and alignment with international wetlands conservation principles.

Beyond planting, he said the project incorporates traditional ecological knowledge, recognising the cultural and economic importance of mangroves to the Ogoni people. This approach, he noted, has strengthened community ownership and enhanced long-term environmental stewardship.

Recent post-fish stock assessments in Bomu Creek, where mangrove restoration and shoreline cleanup are ongoing, show promising signs of ecological recovery.

According to him, HYPREP reported increased fisheries production, with fish species previously absent returning to the creek. “Local fisherfolk are now recording improved catches, while women and youths have resumed picking periwinkles, signalling a revival of traditional livelihoods,” he said.

He stressed that the mangrove restoration project goes beyond environmental remediation, describing it as a catalyst for ecosystem revitalisation, cultural renewal and social recovery. Healthy wetlands, HYPREP noted, contribute to safer shorelines, improved fisheries, enhanced carbon sequestration and renewed economic opportunities for communities.

He also highlighted HYPREP’s efforts to reintroduce the West African cockle into Ogoni creeks, a species deeply connected to the cultural identity and culinary heritage of the people.

Acknowledging the role of collaboration, the Project Coordinator commended community leaders and residents, civil society organisations and relevant government agencies for their collective contributions to on-the-ground progress, and called for sustained partnerships, policy support and responsible environmental stewardship to safeguard Nigeria’s wetlands.

The Ogoniland mangrove restoration programme, Zabbey concluded, stands as a practical demonstration of how degraded wetlands can be restored to deliver lasting environmental, economic and social benefits.

Bikers were among prominent dignitaries who recently attended the burial ceremony of late Mrs. Nimi Obata Grant Offor (née Lawson) in Omagwa Community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The burial service, held at the St. Martin’s Anglican Church field, attracted a large turnout of religious leaders, business executives, political figures, celebrities, bikers’ groups, traditional rulers and community members from different parts of Nigeria. Also present were the Bishop of the Anglican Province of the Niger Delta, Most Rev. Blessing Enyindah, and popular businessman and socialite, Obi Cubana, among other notable personalities.
The remains of Mrs Grant Offor, a respected professional, philanthropist and devout Christian, were laid to rest amid an elaborate and well-coordinated funeral ceremony that reflected her wide-reaching influence and the high regard in which she was held by family, associates and the larger community.
The ceremony drew public attention due to its unique logistics, as two helicopters were deployed. An air ambulance helicopter conveyed the casket to the church field, while another helicopter transported members of the deceased’s family from Abonnema to Omagwa Community.
Dignitaries and mourners gathered in large numbers to pay their final respects.
In an emotional tribute, High Chief Engr. Grant Offor, described his late wife as everything to him, stating that her passing had created a deep void in his life and in the lives of their children. He disclosed that he committed his time, resources and efforts in a bid to save her life, adding that if money or human effort alone could prevent death, she would still be alive.
Mrs. Nimi Obata Grant Offor was born on May 4, 1978, at the Ibiso Maternity Clinic, Port Harcourt, and passed away on November 15, 2025, after a prolonged illness that lasted nearly three years. She was born a twin and grew up in a family noted for service and leadership. Her father, the late Engr. Benoni Lawson, served as Managing Director of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA), while her mother, Mrs. Irene Lawson, is a nurse.
She attended Port Harcourt Primary School and International Secondary School (ISS) before proceeding to the University of Science and Technology (UST), Port Harcourt, and later the University of Port Harcourt, Choba, where she studied Accountancy and graduated with honours. She was widely known during her academic years for her discipline, focus and reserved lifestyle.
After completing her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, Mrs. Grant Offor began her professional career in the banking sector, including service with the defunct All States Trust Bank, and later worked in other professional capacities. She earned a reputation for integrity, diligence and ethical conduct.
She was married to Engr. Grant Offor for over 20 years, a union blessed with three children. As a wife and mother, she was described as deeply devoted to her family, instilling values of faith, patience, kindness and discipline. Her home was known among close associates as one built on prayer, love and godly counsel.
A committed Christian, Mrs. Grant Offor was known for her strong faith and love for gospel music, particularly songs of healing and deliverance. Even while receiving specialist medical care in the United Kingdom, she reportedly remained steadfast in her belief, trusting in God until her final moments.

Adding to the show of solidarity, the President of the Rivers State Chapter of the Pantas Female Bikers Group, Mr. White Timano, disclosed that High Chief Engr. Grant Offor is a major sponsor of Uyo Micah’s Carnival, one of the group’s major events. He said bikers and supporters travelled from Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Delta States to commiserate with the family and show support during the period of mourning.

Mr. Timano described death as inevitable and encouraged the family to remain strong, stressing that only God grants the grace required to endure such painful loss.

The church field was tastefully decorated, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere. The burial ceremony featured hymns, live music, scriptural exhortations, eulogies and tributes celebrating the life and legacy of Mrs. Nimi Obata Grant Offor. Messages from notable personalities highlighted her contributions to family life, philanthropy, professional service and community development.

On behalf of the family, High Chief Engr. Grant Offor expressed appreciation to all who stood by them throughout the period of mourning, thanking guests for their prayers, presence and support.

The burial ceremony stood as a testament to the enduring legacy of Mrs. Nimi Obata Grant Offor, whose life of service, faith and quiet generosity left a lasting impact on many across Rivers State, the Niger Delta and beyond.