• Scores big in cleanup exercise, seeks continuous collaboration
• HOSTCOM lauds NUPRC for empowering oil-producing communities
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) said the active participation of Ogoni stakeholders is fundamental to the project’s success.
The HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, said this in a statement yesterday in Abuja. Zabbey said HYPREP had organised an engagement forum with Ogoni key stakeholders in Port Harcourt and presented its scorecard.
He commended the stakeholders for their support for HYPREP while seeking continuous collaboration for the project’s completion.
He said, “HYPREP cannot succeed in isolation; the constructive participation of Ogoni communities, traditional institutions, and all other parties is fundamental to the success of this transformative initiative.”
He said that the project had performed well in some areas with a 75 per cent completion of the restoration of 560 hectares of oil-degraded mangroves.
“More than 1 million mangroves were planted; 20 per cent completion rate recorded for shoreline remediation while substantial advancement was recorded in land remediation.
“Similarly, there were interventions in soil and groundwater and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER) hit 70 per cent completion.
“The Ogoni Specialist Hospital, Buan Cottage Hospital and the Ogoni Power Project are all progressing steadily.’’
Zabbey said that following the remediation of land and shorelines, more areas were being freed up for farming, fishing and other productive uses. He said the project was in talks with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to establish an agro-processing hub in Ogoni.
Zabbey said that HYPREP recognised the importance of access to sustainable clean water in enhancing public health and well-being, reaffirming the project’s commitment to sustaining these interventions.
MEANWHILE, the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM) has expressed satisfaction with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for its commitment to empowering host communities and driving sustainable development in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
Under the leadership of Gbenga Komolafe, NUPRC has made remarkable strides in the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, particularly through the creation of 136 Host Communities Development Trusts (HCDTs) and the development of the innovative HOSTCOMPLY digital platform for transparency in managing community funds.
This was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the National President of the HOSTCOM, Dr. Benjamin Style Tamaranebi.
During the closing of the year’s activities in Abuja, Tamaranebi commended the Commission’s proactive role in resolving longstanding issues, including the completion of the Marginal Field Bid Round and the establishment of a community dispute resolution centre in Bayelsa State, which brings justice closer to the people.
He also acknowledged NUPRC’s success in boosting Nigeria’s oil production to two million barrels per day, up from 1.6 million.
Tamaranebi also commended NUPRC’s dedication to transparency and adherence to regulatory frameworks, calling on stakeholders to expedite the full implementation of the three per cent OPEX fund allocation for host communities.
