The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has announced the successful completion of Phase One of its mangrove restoration programme in Ogoniland, achieving 100 per cent planting and restoration, while warning against the dangers of re-pollution.
The Director of Technical Services at HYPREP, Dr. Damian-Paul Aguiyi, disclosed this during the agency’s fourth-quarter 2025 stakeholders and regulators’ meeting held in Port Harcourt.
Aguiyi explained that the quarterly meeting serves as a platform to engage stakeholders, regulators, partners and asset owners, as well as to review progress, challenges and areas requiring improvement in project delivery.
According to him, remediation activities recorded notable progress in the last quarter, particularly in soil and groundwater clean-up.
“Soil and groundwater remediation progressed significantly. The mangrove restoration effort has achieved 100 per cent completion of Phase One planting and restoration. We are now at the monitoring stage, with some sites already monitored for up to nine months,” he said.
He added that shoreline clean-up is about 77 per cent complete, while access to potable water has been expanded across Ogoni communities.
“We have restored 100 per cent water supply to Ebubu, and reconstruction has commenced at the Gwara Waterfall,” Aguiyi stated.
On infrastructure development, he disclosed that critical components for the Ogoni Power Project have been procured and are currently stored at the Wiyaakara substation.
However, Aguiyi expressed concern over the possibility of re-pollution, describing it as HYPREP’s most pressing challenge.
“Our major worry is that we don’t want to wake up one morning and find that areas we have cleaned with Ogoni people’s money have been re-polluted by activities beyond our control,” he warned.
He noted that sustained community sensitisation and alternative livelihood programmes have contributed to the reduction of illegal activities in the area.
“We really haven’t had incidents of artisanal refining in Ogoniland in the last two to three years, and this is built on sustained community engagement and offering alternative livelihoods,” he said.
Aguiyi reaffirmed HYPREP’s openness to collaboration with companies operating in Ogoniland, stressing that useful initiatives aligned with the project’s objectives would be reviewed and adopted where necessary.
He added that recommendations from recent reports are already being implemented, underscoring HYPREP’s commitment to transparency, environmental restoration and the improvement of livelihoods in Ogoniland.
By Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
EXCERPT:
HYPREP completes Phase One mangrove restoration in Ogoniland, cautions communities against renewed environmental degradation.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has announced the successful completion of Phase One of its mangrove restoration programme in Ogoniland, achieving 100 per cent planting and restoration, while warning against the dangers of re-pollution.
The Director of Technical Services at HYPREP, Dr. Damian-Paul Aguiyi, disclosed this during the agency’s fourth-quarter 2025 stakeholders and regulators’ meeting held in Port Harcourt.
Aguiyi explained that the quarterly meeting serves as a platform to engage stakeholders, regulators, partners and asset owners, as well as to review progress, challenges and areas requiring improvement in project delivery.
According to him, remediation activities recorded notable progress in the last quarter, particularly in soil and groundwater clean-up.
“Soil and groundwater remediation progressed significantly. The mangrove restoration effort has achieved 100 per cent completion of Phase One planting and restoration. We are now at the monitoring stage, with some sites already monitored for up to nine months,” he said.
He added that shoreline clean-up is about 77 per cent complete, while access to potable water has been expanded across Ogoni communities.
“We have restored 100 per cent water supply to Ebubu, and reconstruction has commenced at the Gwara Waterfall,” Aguiyi stated.
On infrastructure development, he disclosed that critical components for the Ogoni Power Project have been procured and are currently stored at the Wiyaakara substation.
However, Aguiyi expressed concern over the possibility of re-pollution, describing it as HYPREP’s most pressing challenge.
“Our major worry is that we don’t want to wake up one morning and find that areas we have cleaned with Ogoni people’s money have been re-polluted by activities beyond our control,” he warned.
He noted that sustained community sensitisation and alternative livelihood programmes have contributed to the reduction of illegal activities in the area.
“We really haven’t had incidents of artisanal refining in Ogoniland in the last two to three years, and this is built on sustained community engagement and offering alternative livelihoods,” he said.
Aguiyi reaffirmed HYPREP’s openness to collaboration with companies operating in Ogoniland, stressing that useful initiatives aligned with the project’s objectives would be reviewed and adopted where necessary.
He added that recommendations from recent reports are already being implemented, underscoring HYPREP’s commitment to transparency, environmental restoration and the improvement of livelihoods in Ogoniland.
By Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
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