Environment
HYPREP Cautions Illegal Refiners On Ogoni Clean – Up
The Project Coodinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Dr. Marvin Dekil has raised alarm over the activities of illegal artisanal refineries in the area.
Dekil who briefed State House correspondents in Abuja on the activities of the HYPREP in Ogoniland , last Friday said the activities of the illegal and artisanal oil refiners had constituted a source of worry to the Ogoni clean-up project.
Nigeria’s oil producing states, especially Ogoni-land are dotted with illegal artisanal oil refineries with attendant economic, environmental and social consequences for the country.
The artisanal refiners, who are mainly drawn from the Ogoni extraction had in August met with the Minister of State for Environment and Chairman, Governing Council, HYPREP, Ibrahim Jibrin, in Port Harcourt, at a one-day consultative meeting organised by the office of the project coordinator of the HYPREP.
During the meeting, the artisanal refiners through their spokesman, Mr. Domka Humphrey said they could only stop refining petroleum products illegally if the Federal Government would empower them as well as include them in the remediation process in Ogoni-land.
He said: “Sir, I will tell you our minds, if you don’t empower us, we will not stop refining, because this is what we feed our families and relations with. We don’t have anything doing after government took away pipeline surveillance from us”.
So, we need to be carried along. Some of us are graduates, many people are still in the bush refining, if you empower us, we will talk to them and they will leave the bush. But where we are not seeing anything, it will be very difficult for us to leave the illegal refining”.
However, Dekil disclosed that HYPREP had started engaging with the artisanal oil refiners with a view to checking the menace of their activities in the area.
“We are also in the process of engaging with the ex-artisanal refiners. This is another key aspect of our activities.
“It is important that the artisanal refining activities in the area is stopped because it’s a source of worry after clean-up.
“It will make no sense if we were to spend this amount of money, one billion dollars, to remediate sites only to have these places polluted again.
“So, we needed to engage with the artisanal refiners. The Minister of State for Environment, three weeks ago, on the invitation of HYPREP, came to Port Harcourt and met with a cross section of the people.
“They agreed to key into the project and stop all such illegal activities.
“They also added that they would like an alternative training for themselves”, he added.
The coordinator revealed that HYPREP would soon be conducting a workshop for the artisanal refiners so as to come up with the most appropriate training programmes for them.
Dekil disclosed that HYPREP had successfully created eight remediation active sites carrying out demonstration projects across four local government areas of Ogoni-land.
The Ministry of Environment on Thursday in Abuja, advanced its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, validating a comprehensive plan aimed at tackling climate-related challenges in the country.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Alhaji Mahmud Kambari, said this at the Stakeholders Consultative Workshop on the Development of the concept notes to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for NAP in Nigeria.
Kambari, who was represented by Mrs Victoria Pwol, the Deputy Director in the Department of Climate Change (DCC) in the ministry, said that the workshop is a collective resolve to confront the realities of climate change with purpose, strategy, and coordinated action.
“Over the past years, the Federal Government of Nigeria, with crucial support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has made significant progress in advancing the NAP process.
“As a nation, we stand at a critical juncture where climate risks ranging from extreme weather events to environmental degradation continues to threaten our socio-economic stability, food systems, public health, infrastructure, and national development aspirations.
“Through extensive technical work, we have completed a Climate Risk Assessment across all geopolitical and agro-ecological zones, developed an Economic Appraisal, an Adaptation Finance Strategy, and a robust Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.”
Kambari said that these foundational elements now guide Nigeria to identify priority adaptation needs and investment opportunities.
“Let me mention that we are at the tail end of this NAP Formulation Process and looking forward to the implementation phase.
“This workshop therefore serves as a strategic purpose to harmonise perspectives across key MDAs; refine project ideas into strong, evidence-based concept notes.
“It will ensure that proposed interventions align with national priorities and the investment criteria of the GCF and position Nigeria to competitively access the resources required to strengthen resilience across vulnerable sectors,” he said.
Dr Iniobong Abiola-Awe, the Director DCC in the Ministry said that the engagement would enhance achievements by collaboratively developing bankable, climate-resilient concept notes that align with national priorities and meet the GCF’s investment requirements.
Abiola-Awe who was represented by Dr Jonah Barde in the Ministry said that the workshop represented an important step in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to strengthen climate resilience.
She added that the workshop would advance sustainable development, and mobilise the climate finance needed to safeguard Nigeria’s communities, ecosystems, and economy from the growing impacts of climate change.
Effective communication, transparency, and science-based risk assessments are the cornerstones of Nigeria’s approach to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
Mr Bello Bwari, the Director-General, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), gave the assurance during a media interaction in Abuja on Friday.
“Where there is communication, you reduce conflict. Effective communication is key, effective engagement with stakeholders is paramount and key to making Nigeria better.
Bwari said anti GMO’s critics keep participants and practitioners on their toes.
“We value them and we expect that their criticisms, suggestions and recommendations will make our operations in the entire spectrum better.
“Where we are not doing so well, we will hear from them, where we can advance explanations, we will advance explanations. Where they are not doing well, we will tell them. We will not run away from doing that.
“But I want to assure you that we are bold enough to face anybody who is not fact-based,” he said.
He reassured that sometime before the end of the second quarter of 2026 there would be a retreat where all stakeholders would be invited.
“And also, the impact we are bringing is going to be measurable by the end of 2026. And going forward, what we do by the end of 2026 will form the basis of our five-year plan.
“There’s a five-year plan which will start at the end of 2026. So, I enjoin the media to please report what you know as a matter of fact, not as a matter of opinion.
“We all have different opinions, but some of our opinions are not facts. From the quality of what I see on papers, reportage, I think largely I’m impressed with what the press is doing in Nigeria so far,” he said.
Bwari stated that Nigerians deserved to understand what NBMA regulates, why they regulate it, and how decisions were made.
“Part of my focus going forward will be strengthening engagement with the media, researchers, policymakers, and the public because regulation works best when it is understood.
“We are not promoters of any technology, and we are not opponents of innovation. We are regulators.
“But at its core, biosafety is about prevention, caution, and preparedness. It is about ensuring that innovation does not outpace safety, and that national development never compromises public health or environmental integrity,” he said.
He promised to uphold the law without fear or favour, communicate more clearly with the public and ensure that every regulatory decision was transparent, evidence-based, and accountable
“NBMA is not an advocacy agency. Our duty is to assess risks, enforce safeguards, and ensure compliance with national and international biosafety standards.I also want to emphasise that public trust matters.
He further urged the media to help Nigerians understand biosafety and biosecurity in a better way.
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