HYPREP Unleashes 100 Ogoni Youths Into Maritime Industry …Tasks Them On Discipline, Safety

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.