FG urges donor, diplomatic supports for Ogoni cleanup
FG urges donor, diplomatic supports for Ogoni cleanup
The Federal Government (FG) urges development partners, donor agencies and the diplomatic community to deepen support for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) for completion of the Ogoniland restoration programme.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, said this on Tuesday in Abuja at the Conference on Donor Facilitation and Diplomatic Support Engagement for HYPREP.
The conference was aimed at reviewing progress in the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report recommendations on Ogoni land, while strengthening partnerships and mobilising support for the sustainability of the project.
Lawal expressed the federal government’s appreciation to the UNEP for its leadership and technical support, noting that the UNEP Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland provided the scientific foundation for the remediation programme.
He highlighted that HYPREP has recorded significant achievements since its establishment, including the remediation of hundreds of hectares of hydrocarbon-polluted land and the provision of potable water schemes to affected communities.
The minister said that large-scale mangrove restoration projects have been ongoing to revive fragile ecosystems, and improve biodiversity, while modern healthcare facilities are being constructed to enhance access to quality healthcare services.
Lawal said the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration is also being developed as a hub for environmental research, innovation and capacity building in Africa.
He said the achievements demonstrated the federal government’s commitment to environmental justice, ecological restoration and sustainable development.
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He, however, said that the implementation of the UNEP recommendations required sustained financial and technical support, continuous environmental monitoring, infrastructure maintenance and long-term community development interventions.
Lawal said resources that had supported much of the progress under the UNEP-backed framework are nearing exhaustion, hence additional support is critical to consolidating existing gains and completing outstanding projects.
He urged development partners, international financial institutions, philanthropic foundations and private sector organisations to provide financial, technical, scientific and strategic support for the project.
In his remarks, Mr Emmanuel Deeyah, Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Ogoni Trust Fund Incorporated, said the environmental crisis in Ogoniland was caused by decades of oil pollution, which contaminated water sources, farmlands and fishing areas.
Deeyah said the agitation of the Ogoni people against environmental degradation prompted the federal government to invite UNEP to carry out a scientific assessment of the area.
“That UNEP report recommended that for Ogoni to be properly cleaned, the oil companies should contribute one billion dollars every five years over a 30-year period for the clean up of Ogoni land.
“We have done it for 10 years now. And we haven’t gotten even one billion. The refineries and local operators have not contributed a dime. And this is a project that we know has a life span.
“So we felt that we should reach out to the international community, partners, multilateral agencies and financial institutions for financial support, technical expertise and strategic partnership.
“We have a gigantic modern-day building that is going to house the center of excellence. The building is ready but cannot function without the necessary facilities,” he said.
He, however, said funding challenges continued to affect the project, adding that some expected contributors are yet to make financial commitments.
Deeyah assured prospective donors and partners that resources committed to the programme would be managed prudently and in line with international best practices.
Also, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, Project Coordinator, HYPREP, solicited for increased funding to address outstanding remediation and infrastructure needs in Ogoniland.
Zabbey identified the remediation of 18 high-risk sites with both soil and groundwater contamination in populated communities as one of the priority areas requiring urgent funding.
According to Zabbey, HYPREP also requires support for the remediation of 120 additional polluted sites identified after the UNEP environmental assessment of Ogoniland.
He said the sites were not captured in the original UNEP report but had been documented for remediation.
Zabbey also listed the extension of potable water projects to all remaining Ogoni communities as another major priority.
He underscored the need for sustained partnerships and international support to ensure the successful implementation of the outstanding projects under the cleanup programme.
