The Project Coordinator (PC) of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey has showcased HYPREP’s milestones in restoring mangroves in Ogoni to the international community. The PC was one of the plenary speakers at the 1st International Conference on Mangrove Restoration and Conservation held in Abu Dhabi from 10 – 12 December 2024. The conference brought together mangrove management practitioners, researchers, and policy actors to share lessons learned and innovative thoughts on enhancing mangrove ecosystem services.
In a presentation titled “Multi-species mangrove restoration of crude oil impacted shoreline in Ogoniland, Nigeria,” the PC described the social and ecological attributes of the ongoing HYPREP pilot mangrove restoration, stressing that the project is community-driven. He underscored the knowledge legacy of HYPREP’s publications on mangrove restoration and conservation strategy, as well as the user-friendly mangrove restoration manual, noting that the reports would guide mangrove restoration efforts in Nigeria and similar regions.
Prof. Zabbey further outlined HYPREP’s next steps to consolidating the mangrove restoration’s immediate and long-term gains. These include restoring the West African bloody cockle, eradicating single-use plastic bags for growing mangrove seedlings, monitoring the impact of mangrove restoration on shoreline elevation using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), monitoring the impact of the mangrove restoration on fisheries, and assessing the carbon stock of the restored mangroves.
