The Minister of Environment, Mallam Balarabe Lawal has affirmed President Bola Tinubu’s dedication to completing all ongoing projects in Ogoniland as part of the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda and key deliverables of the Federal Ministry of Environment.
During an official visit to Ogoniland, accompanied by the Minister of Niger Delta, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, the minister commissioned the Bomu Community and Kporghor water facilities in Gokana and Tai local government areas of Rivers State, respectively.
Balarabe encouraged the youth and women of these communities to take ownership of the projects and protect them from vandalisation, emphasising their role as the primary beneficiaries. He urged the communities to safeguard and ensure optimal usage of these new facilities. The completed water facilities are part of the Hydro-Carbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), marking a significant step towards environmental restoration and sustainable development in the Niger Delta region.
The minister emphasised that clean, accessible, and potable water is a fundamental human right essential for public health and economic development, especially in Ogoniland, where water contamination has resulted from oil spills. Beyond providing clean water, HYPREP is committed to soil and groundwater remediation, health intervention programmes and livelihood restoration for the affected communities.
“The Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda remains committed to environmental remediation and sustainable development in Ogoniland, actively engaging with local communities and incorporating their feedback,” Balarabe added.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of the HYPREP project, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey highlighted that the commissioning of the Bomu and Kporghor water facilities marks another milestone in implementing the UNEP Report on Ogoniland recommendations. He stressed that access to clean and safe water is a fundamental human right and urged the communities to protect these facilities for common use.
Zabbey also reported significant progress in other project areas, including land and shoreline remediation, healthcare facility strengthening and the training of 5,000 Ogoni youths and women in 20 skill areas. The training includes the provision of skill-specific starter packs, with 29 Ogoni youth trained as cabin crew. Additionally, capacity-building workshops, such as procurement and business strategy, career enhancement and employability and business proposal development, have been conducted. a civic education and constructive engagement workshop for Ogoni youths is also planned.
The official working visit included a HYPREP Governing Council meeting and a visit to the palace of His Royal Majesty, King Suanu Baridam JP, the Gbene-Mene and Kasimene Bangha of Ogoniland. The ministry’s head of press and public relations unit Ibrahim Haruna stated that other areas visited included HYPREP project sites like the Ogoni Specialist Hospital, Ogoni Centre of Excellence, Buan Cottage Hospital, the newly commissioned Kporghor Water facility, among others.
This visit underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing the environmental and socio-economic challenges in Ogoniland. The collaborative efforts aim to ensure that the benefits of these projects reach the communities directly, fostering sustainable development and improving the quality of life for the people of Ogoniland.
