Environment
Minister Wants Reps To Tackle Artisanal Refining
The Minister of State for Environment, Chief (Mrs.) Sharon Ikeazor, has called on members of the House Committee on Host Communities to help in addressing the activities of artisanal refining in Ogoniland.
She made this appeal during her interactive session with members of the House Committee on Host Communities.
The Minister of State expressed appreciation to the committee for its keen interest and follow-up on the progress of work on the Ogoni clean-up project. Chief Ikeazor in her brief, informed members of the committee that the Ogoni clean-up project is a priority project for the President, pledging that she will do all that is required to ensure that the people of Ogoni get the full benefit from the project.
She informed the committee that she recently held a stakeholders engagement with the Ogoni communities in Bori, to enable her interface with the owners of the project and get a firsthand information on their expectations and concerns about the project.
Giving her brief, Ikeazor disclosed that the long-awaited water for the people of Ogoni has been addressed as six water contractors are currently working to provide potable water in Ogoniland, while additional 12 water contractors will soon be engaged. She informed the committee that HYPREP has completed nineteen (19) of the twenty-one (21) lots in Phase 1 Batch 1 remediation works, eighteen (18) lots have been certified and closed out by NOSDRA while the remaining two (2) lots are at different stages of completion. She further explained that in 2020, contracts were awarded for the
Phase 1 Batch 2 works of thirty-six (36) lots, which comprises twenty-nine (29) soil remediation and seven (7) lots in Tier 2 (T-2) assessment of groundwater. She informed the members that the seven (7) lots for assessment of groundwater have since been completed while remediation works on the twenty-nine (29) lots are at different stages of completion. She was happy to announce to the Committee that fourteen (14) remediation lots on this phase have been completed, two (2) have been certified and closed out by NOSDRA while others are awaiting NOSDRA certification.
The Minister also informed the committee that HYPREP is working with UNEP to carry out reconnaissance of polluted sites that were not covered in the UNEP Report, this she added is to improve the capacity of farmlands and aquatic environment to support farming and fishing activities. 156 out of 176 sites have been visited by the HYPREP/UNEP tam. She expressed excitement to members of the committee at seeing green vegetation growing on a polluted site that had been remediated in Alode, Eleme Local Government Area when she last visited.
She however noted with great concern cases of vandalisation, contractors not allowed access to sites, delay on some remediation sites caused by restive youths, chieftaincy tussles and communal disputes.
Further in her briefing, the Minister informed the members that HYPREP has trained youths of Ogoni in various aspects of remediation and has created over 2300 jobs. Furthermore, Ikeazor said HYPREP has designed programs to provide alternative livelihood for the people of Ogoni, adding that youths will be trained to provide surveillance in Ogoni while the livelihood programs will also target those involved in artisanal refining to provide them with alternative means of livelihood.
The Permanent Secretary, Engr. Hassan Musa informed the committee that the Minister has come with the determination and vigor to ensure quality and timely delivery of the project.
The Project Coordinator, Prof. Philip Shekwolo while responding to questions took members of the committee through the process of the soil recovery through natural attenuation and bio-remediation. The PC submitted to the committee a presentation which covered the life cycle of the four (4) thematic areas of the project, namely, remediation, livelihood, water and health.
The Director General of NOSDRA, Mr. Idris Musa told the committee that the teething problems which caused delays in the clean-up project have been addressed. He assured the members that the project will now run smoothly and faster. The DG stated that HYPREP has achieved about 68 percent out of the originally delineated lots.
By: Donatus Ebi
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has issued a seven-day flood advisory, warning of a medium flood risk in 17 states between July 21 and July 27.
The agency said the alert followed rising water levels at key river monitoring stations, increasing the likelihood of localised flooding along river channels and floodplains.
NIHSA Director-General, Umar Mohammed, disclosed this in National Flood Advisory (Alert No. NFA-2026-200) issued on Tuesday.
He said the affected states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
According to Mohammed, river levels at Saminara on the Karam River, Waya Dam Site on the Waya River and Amber on the Amber River had exceeded watch and warning thresholds.
He said 16 gauging stations nationwide were recording elevated river stages, placing nearby communities at risk of localised flooding.
Mohammed urged state governments, local authorities and residents of flood-prone communities to take precautionary measures immediately.
NIHSA said Bauchi had the highest exposure, with 1,841 communities, 145 schools, 101 health facilities and eight markets identified as vulnerable.
The agency also identified vulnerable communities and public facilities in Edo, Imo, Kaduna, Plateau and Benue states.
Mohammed urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), local governments and community leaders to activate emergency response plans.
He recommended relocating residents, livestock and valuables from floodplains to safer locations
He also advised emergency agencies to pre-position food, medical supplies and water treatment materials in areas likely to be affected.
“The NIHSA boss called for community mobilisation through early warning volunteers and local communication channels to ensure timely dissemination of flood alerts.
He cautioned residents against walking, driving or riding through flooded roads, bridges and fast-flowing waterway.
A cleaner environment begins with collective responsibility. That commitment was evident across Umuahia on Saturday as thousands of residents turned out to participate in the July monthly environmental sanitation exercise, with officials describing the compliance level as one of the most encouraging in recent months.
The impressive turnout has renewed hope that Abia’s campaign for a cleaner and healthier environment is steadily becoming a culture rather than a routine exercise.
The July monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Umuahia recorded about 80% compliance.
The Abia State Ministry of Environment described the turnout as a strong indication that residents are embracing Governor Alex Otti’s vision for a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable environment, while calling for the establishment of Neighbourhood Environmental Watch groups to sustain the momentum.
The Abia State Government has commended residents of Umuahia for their impressive participation in the July monthly environmental sanitation exercise, describing the turnout as a strong indication that citizens are embracing the state’s campaign for a cleaner and healthier environment.
Speaking after monitoring the exercise across major parts of the Umuahia metropolis, the Permanent Secretary, Abia State Ministry of Environment, Mr. Ikechukwu Oriuwa, expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance and urged residents to sustain the momentum.
According to him, the success recorded during the exercise reflects growing public support for the environmental agenda of the Labour Party-led administration.
“I think, so far, so good. At this point, what we need to do is sustain the momentum. We should move forward with establishing a Neighbourhood Environmental Watch so that residents can monitor compliance and ensure the initiative is sustained,” he said.
Mr. Oriuwa further applauded both residents and the organisers for the success of the exercise.
“Well, I must say I am very impressed. I appreciate the organisers for putting this programme together. It has been highly impressive, and I believe participants have learnt a great deal. From what I have observed so far, everything has been well organised, and I think they are doing an excellent job. I encourage them to keep up the good work because programmes like this are beneficial to everyone,” he added.
The Permanent Secretary stressed that environmental sanitation should become a daily culture rather than an activity observed only on designated sanitation days.
Drawing from an Igbo proverb, he explained why communities must collectively protect their environment.
“An Igbo proverb says that a goat owned by the public often goes hungry. That is why establishing a Neighbourhood Environmental Watch is important. It will encourage residents to take collective responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean and ensuring that sanitation efforts are sustained.”
He also urged government agencies to strengthen enforcement by deploying environmental health officers to carry out routine inspections and ensure compliance with sanitation laws.
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