Ten years after the launch of the Ogoni Cleanup Programme, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) says tangible environmental and social improvements are emerging in Ogoniland. The federal government formally began the initiative at the Bodo waterfront on 2 June 2016, with the HYPREP Project Coordination Office established in February 2017 to oversee implementation. Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, HYPREP Project Coordinator, stated that 30 of the 65 sites investigated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have been fully remediated. Seventeen medium-risk complex sites are currently undergoing remediation, while detailed characterisation continues for the remaining 18 high-risk sites.
Mangrove restoration, described by Zabbey as the world's largest effort of its kind, has seen 1,537,885 seedlings planted. Over 1,000 hectares of shoreline have been cleaned, and 560 hectares restored with multi-species mangroves, boosting biodiversity and supporting local fisheries. Phase 2 of shoreline cleanup and mangrove planting is ongoing. In water supply, 49 communities now have access to potable water through reticulated schemes, booster stations, and wind-powered facilities in remote areas. HYPREP has also upgraded healthcare infrastructure, including the Ogoni Specialist Hospital and a 43-bed cottage hospital, though specific completion dates or operational details were not provided.
Zabbey credited stakeholder collaboration with driving progress, citing involvement from regulators, government agencies, International Oil Companies (IOCs), and civil society organisations. He linked the project's goals to President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, emphasizing integration of environmental remediation with human capacity development. Despite ongoing challenges, HYPREP maintains that the cumulative impact of its interventions is fostering environmental recovery and improved livelihoods across Ogoniland.
Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey claims 30 UNEP-recommended sites have been closed out, yet nearly half of the 65 sites remain at various stages of assessment or remediation a decade after the project began. Communities waited years before visible work started, and with 18 high-risk sites still not fully characterised, the pace of action does not match the scale of promised transformation. The planting of over 1.5 million mangrove seedlings sounds impressive, but survival rates and long-term ecological impact have not been verified. For residents who lost farmland and fishing grounds, delayed execution remains its own form of neglect.
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