Nigeria’s Minister of Environment Balarabe Abbas Lawal has highlighted significant achievements under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s two-year administration, with the Ogoni cleanup standing out as a major milestone in the country’s environmental recovery efforts.
Speaking at a ministerial press briefing yesterday in Abuja, the Minister said the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), supervised by the Federal Ministry of Environment, has recorded unprecedented progress in addressing the oil pollution crisis in Ogoniland, Rivers State, in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
According to the minister, remediation work has been completed on over 125 hectares of medium-risk oil-contaminated soil and groundwater, employing more than 1,400 Ogoni youths across 39 active remediation sites. Additionally, 1,700 hectares of shoreline have been cleaned, with 2,500 Ogoni youths and women trained in oil spill response and certified by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The Minister said government has achieved the “Remediation of 125.39 ha of medium-risk complex site oil-contaminated soil and groundwater with an attendant training and employment of 1,453 Ogoni youths to work at the 39 remediation sites that are ongoing; cleaned up 1,700 ha of oil-contaminated shoreline, along with the training of 2,500 Ogoni youth and women in oil spill response and awarded with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 1 & 2 certificates which is globally recognized.”
A key milestone, the minister noted, is the ongoing mangrove restoration—the largest of its kind globally.
With over two million seedlings of red, black, and white mangrove species planted, the pilot phase covering 560 hectares is 85% complete. The initiative also created jobs for 540 community members.
Efforts to restore clean water access have also yielded results. “We have commissioned nine out of ten large-scale water treatment stations under HYPREP, now supplying potable water to more than 30 communities in Ogoniland,” the minister said.
He said healthcare infrastructure is also receiving a boost, with the construction of a 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital now 67% complete and a 40-bed Buan Cottage Hospital at 90% completion. Four existing hospitals have been upgraded with modern medical equipment in Bori, Kpite, Nchia, and Terabo.
To support research and skill development, Mr Lawal said work on the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER) is nearing completion at 80%. The facility is expected to serve as a hub for environmental research and vocational training. HYPREP has also awarded scholarships to 300 postgraduate students and provided vocational training to 390 secondary school students in the region.
Beyond Ogoniland, the Minister said the Nigerian Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) has continued its regulatory oversight of oil spill remediation in the Niger Delta. The Minister said NOSDRA assessed and certified 1,331 of 1,471 remediation sites in the region, and successfully supervised the cleanup of several major spill incidents, including those along the Rumuekpe-Nkpoku pipeline and at Chevron’s Ojumole Well-1 in Ondo State.
Lawal said NOSDRA has mapped 552 locations impacted by illegal oil bunkering and artisanal refining as part of its expanded environmental protection efforts, adding that a remediation action plan is being developed to guide the cleanup of these newly identified sites.
The minister also spotlighted progress in climate change mitigation. Under the Department of Climate Change, the Ministry secured Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval for the National Clean Cooking Policy, launched in April 2024. The initiative aims to distribute 30,000 clean cooking stoves nationwide to promote energy efficiency and improve health, while also creating green jobs.
In addressing erosion and land degradation, the Ministry has secured EUR 175 million (USD 200 million) funding from the European Investment Bank through the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Project (NEWMAP-EIB). The multi-sectoral initiative will roll out over a five-year period, starting in 2025, to tackle erosion challenges and promote sustainable livelihoods.
In line with Nigeria’s push for a circular economy, the ministry has also obtained FEC approval to ban single-use plastics across all Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), with plans to expand the ban nationwide.
“These achievements reflect President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for a greener, healthier Nigeria,” the minister stated.
