The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and the Belgian government have reaffirmed their commitment to the Ogoni cleanup and to addressing environmental and socio-economic challenges in the region.
This commitment was reiterated in a statement following a visit by Pieter Leenknegt, the Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, and Prof. Olof Linden, a renowned mangrove expert, to Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, HYPREP’s Project Coordinator.
Leenknegt stated that the visit aimed to assess the progress of the Ogoni cleanup programme and explore areas for further support.
He was accompanied by Dorien Laewnen, First Secretary to the Belgian Ambassador, who commended HYPREP’s efforts in environmental restoration and livelihood improvement in the Niger Delta.
Laewnen described the project as “a contemporary approach to caring for biodiversity and making the community dwellers custodians of the environment”.
Linden was also accompanied by Mike Cowing from the Post-UNEP team to inspect the HYPREP mangrove restoration site in Bomu, Gokana Local Government Area in Rivers State.
The United Nations (UN) and its agencies have committed to partnering with HYPREP in key areas.
Mohamed Fall, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, stated at a recent meeting with HYPREP that the UN and its agencies would provide technical support in mangrove restoration and climate change mitigation.
He added that the UN would also assist in food security, access to potable water, public health, and other areas.
Fall noted that the visit provided an opportunity to assess HYPREP’s progress in implementing the Ogoni Cleanup Programme.
He highlighted that HYPREP’s mandate aligns with the UN’s objectives, particularly in addressing human rights, environmental degradation, access to clean water, public health, and peacebuilding.
“I have seen that progress is being made on many fronts, the restoration of mangroves, the improvement of livelihoods, and better access to services such as safe water and healthcare.
“The UN will continue to lend its voice and provide support as the programme moves forward,” Fall assured.
In response, Zabbey expressed optimism that the visits reflected the growing national and international interest in the project.
“This project is fostering biodiversity recovery in previously degraded shoreline and mangrove areas, with over 1.3 million mangroves planted and shoreline restoration works reaching over 38 per cent to date,” he said.
He emphasised that HYPREP welcomes partnerships that drive sustainable development and contribute to key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 2, 6, 13, 14, and 17.
Zabbey also appealed to the UN Resident Coordinator to mobilise further support from UN agencies to sustain the project’s momentum.
During the visit, the delegation received a project status briefing outlining key milestones achieved across various thematic areas.
They were also presented with HYPREP’s manuals on mangrove restoration, among other project documents.
Representatives from the FAO, WHO, and UNDP, as well as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, were present during the visit to HYPREP’s office in Port Harcourt.
By Abigael Joshua