The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) says 17 contaminated sites in Ogoniland, in the Niger Delta, have been fully remediated as part of ongoing efforts to restore the environment. 

Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, project coordinator at HYPREP, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at a news conference ahead of its high-level donor and diplomatic engagement on environmental restoration in Ogoniland.

HYPREP is a federal government initiative established to implement the recommendations of the 2011 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) assessment of Ogoniland.

The forthcoming conference, slated for May 26, 2026, will convene the diplomatic community, donor agencies, and development partners, among others, to explore ways to advance environmental remediation and sustainable livelihoods in the Niger Delta.

Mr Zabbey said the remediation is being done in phases, adding that UNEP investigated 65 sites, provided fact sheets on them, and recommended that they should be remediated.

“UNEP did not investigate all the contaminated sites in the Ogoniland as at when they released the reports, so there are undocumented sites which HYPREP is currently investigating to check if they require remediation.

“Seventeen simple sites, which are sites that only soil is contaminated, have been remediated and closed out, so we have the close-out certificate with us.

“Thirteen of the 65 sites have undergone natural attenuation, where contaminants have been reduced to acceptable levels without active intervention.

“The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) came and investigated and saw that they did not require remediation and closed out the sites,” he said.

Mr Zabbey said remediation was ongoing at 17 medium-risk complex sites, while four groundwater-impacted locations have shown contaminant levels reduced to below the benchmark of 600 micrograms per litre.

“We are making good progress,” he said, adding that the remaining 18 high-risk complex sites located in residential areas were currently undergoing detailed characterisation to determine the scope and method of remediation before contract award.

He explained that the assessment was necessary because environmental conditions, particularly groundwater contamination, may have changed since the UNEP report of 2011.

The project coordinator emphasised that additional contaminated locations, not captured in the UNEP report, were also being investigated for possible remediation.

On funding and details of the one billion dollars remediation fund, Mr Zabbey said details of financials would be unveiled at the conference, where the target audience, donors and partners would be present.

He said the upcoming conference was aimed at mobilising not only financial resources but also technical and institutional support.

HYPREP, he said, was seeking partnerships in areas such as capacity building, including training of personnel in groundwater monitoring, as well as the establishment of a centre of excellence.

According to Mr Zabbey, the engagement is designed to allow potential partners to assess ongoing work and determine areas where they can contribute.

He reiterated that significant progress had been made, but more support was required to complete the remediation of all impacted sites in Ogoniland, hence the donor facilitation and diplomatic engagement quest.

HYPREP has pursued a holistic approach to environmental remediation, public health interventions, livelihood restoration, infrastructure development, research, peacebuilding, and sustainable development in Ogoniland since its operations commenced in 2016. 

(NAN)