The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) on Tuesday joined the global community to mark the 2025 International Youth Day, with a call to Ogoni youths, both at home and in the diaspora to continue to support it to achieve its set goals and targets.

The Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, who made the call in a statement signed by the Head of Communications, Dr Enuolare Mba-Nwigoh, said the youths should believe that working together with the Project, leveraging locally youth action, and fostering inclusivity, the goals of the Project would be achieved.

Zabbey assured them that HYPREP would continue to invest in training and skills development, create opportunities for them to become skilled professionals, entrepreneurs, and advocates for sustainable development.

He noted that HYPREP recognises the salient and highly supportive disposition of Ogoni youths as key stakeholders towards the successful implementation of the cleanup project, adding that the role of Ogoni youths in implementing UNEP’s recommendations on Ogoniland cannot be over-stated.

He said the Ogoni youths have stood at the front lines, clearing impacted sites, engaging in construction works, championing community awareness, and driving narratives of hope and renewal through traditional and online media.

According to him, the contributions of the youths serve as a potent reminder that the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) are most effectively achieved when local youth are empowered to take ownership of the process.

The Project Coordinator further indicated that the theme of this year’s International Youth Day, “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond,” resonates strongly with HYPREP as a youth-driven, community-based Project, committed to environmental remediation, livelihood restoration and sustainable peace building in Ogoniland.

He said as a project rooted in local communities, HYPREP recognises that the success of its interventions depends on the active participation and leadership of young people, saying, “from the physical restoration of polluted sites to the promotion of sustainable livelihoods, from grassroots mobilisation to digital advocacy, local youth have played a significant role in translating HYPREP’s goals into action.”

“The energy, creativity, and resilience of the Ogoni youths are helping to advance the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) far beyond ecosystem recovery towards inclusive growth and national unity,” he said.

Zabbey noted that the Project is strategically tailored to benefit a critical mass of Ogoni youths across its multiple projects and programmes be it the land and shoreline remediation sites; mangrove restoration; Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration; potable water projects; the Ogoni Power Project; Ogoni Specialist Hospital; Buan Cottage Hospital; and livelihood schemes or human capacity development.

On the celebration of the International Youth Day, he saluted on behalf of HYPREP, the courage, dedication, and vision of Ogoni youths, saying, “Your work in the field, your voices in community engagements, and your leadership in peace building are helping to restore the Ogoni environment while building stronger communities and a more united nation.”

According to him, HYPREP has been intentional in ensuring inclusivity and promoting greater participation among youths, as the establishment of the Office of the Special Assistant on Women and Youth Development, underscores the significance and priority given to the Ogoni youths.