The Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration project, undertaken by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Ogoniland, Rivers State has attained 47 percent completion rate.
The Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who dropped the hint during the agency’s first interactive session this year with Ogoni youths in Port Harcourt last Thursday, said by developing innovative, cost-effective and sustainable technologies and solutions, that reduce the impact of pollutants on the environment, the centre would serve as a focal point for knowledge management, in the overall goal, by the ability to capture new knowledge and standardise scientific processes and deploy best practices from inside and outside of the business area.He said the Ogoni people would be proud to host the centre on completion.
He also noted that contractors for the mangrove restoration project have moved to site, and have started preliminary revegetation activities in their work area.
The Project Coordinator equally indicated that the water projects commissioned last year by the Minister of Environment in four Ogoni communities have continued to supply potable water to households in neighbouring communities.
He said the Ogoni shoreline clean-up contractors are setting up their base camp on site, adding that the set-up in Bomu Community has been completed while similar activities are ongoing in B-Dere and Kpor-Goi communities.
According to him, the International Maritime Organisation(IMO) training for community workers was expected to have been completed on Friday, March 29, 2024 while active clean-up would follow suit.
He said the construction of the Ogoni Specialist Hospital and Buan cottage hospital is in progress, describing the health projects as beacons of hope for enhanced healthcare services in Ogoniland, stressing that the state-of-the-art health facilities would provide quality medical care to Ogoni people.
The Project Coordinator also hinted that the livelihood training for 5,000 Ogoni youths is ongoing, adding that upon completion, HYPREP would provide starter packs to enable the beneficiaries to continue as entrepreneurs.
He disclosed that the HYPREP’s Governing Council has approved additional funds for trainees’ transportation, saying the monies would accordingly be disbursed to them, contending that in addition to approvals for other training, the Governing Council has also approved the training of people living with disabilities.
Zabbey further revealed that HYPREP is expanding its engagements with various community segments, including fresh graduates, students and the underserved populations, adding that the scholarship grants to final year students, which began last year, would be paid soon.
He said a procurement and business strategy workshop for young entrepreneurs would be organised in the coming weeks, stressing that HYPREP would always acknowledge the pivotal role the Ogoni youths play in the success of the project, saying, “Your energy, innovation and passion are invaluable assets that propel us on this transformation journey”. He, therefore, urged the youths to continue engaging actively in the project and lend their voices, ideas and talents towards building a brighter future.
“We expect that you take advantage of these opportunities on the project to improve your income, academics, career, employability, and entrepreneurial potential and live more meaningfully”, he said.
In his keynote address, Dr Gbenemene Kpae of the Centre of Peace and Security Studies in the University of Port Harcourt, enjoined Ogoni youths to shun violence and always embrace peaceful means and dialogue while making demands, stressing that violence undermines development efforts and also impedes the implementation of projects.
While commending HYPREP for its open door policy, Dr Kpae canvassed and recommended that negotiations by stakeholders should be done in such a way that all the parties involved are satisfied, at the end of the day.
Commenting on the ongoing Ogoni power project, HYPREP’s Project Coordinator hinted that the project is currently on its first phase, which involves putting modalities in place for the generation of power.
According to him, buildings standing on the transmission way, are currently being pulled down, while compensations are also being paid.
He said the second phase of the project would be the distribution stage, and acknowledged that the project had faced some initial hiccups like its contract re-valuation, since it was initially done in naira, without taking cognizance of the fact that some equipment for the project would be imported.
According to Zabbey, since the re-denomination of the contract has been completed, in the coming months, over 30 imported containers would arrive Ogoniland, wherein the people of the area would begin to see the power project’s transmission towers.
“We are on course. The power project is work in progress”, he said.
At the interactive session, of significance was the fact that Ogoni youths, particularly the people living with disabilities, attested that they had never had it so good, and, therefore, passed a resounding vote of confidence on the Project Coordinator.
The leader of the people living with disabilities, as well as the four zonal coordinators of the group, who spoke, denounced a situation where some Ogonis write frivolous petitions against Prof Zabbey and his management team, saying, they would no longer condone that, as the Project Coordinator must be allowed to fully serve his tenure.

By: Donatus Ebi