In a bid to foster collaboration with relevant agencies for effective project implementation in Ogoni, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has played host to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) during their visit to the Project Coordination Office in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
After the team’s visit to HYPREP land remediation and mangrove restoration sites in K-Dere and Bomu, Gokana LGA, Elder (Dr) Henry Asuquo Okokon, Director, Environmental Protection and Control, expressed satisfaction with the level of achievements recorded on the sites, noting that the visit provided an opportunity to see first hand what the Project is doing and to glean lessons.
”I am highly impressed with the restoration. One wouldn’t have thought that this has been done. We came out here and we have seen that much has been done and we want to appreciate the effort put into it” he stated.
HYPREP’s Director of Technical Services, Damian-Paul Aguiyi, said the Project is in talks with NDDC and other development partners on areas of collaboration towards effective project delivery.
Prof Aguiyi is enthused over HYPREP’s interventions in it shoreline and mangrove projects in the creeks of Ogoni which are yielding positive results in terms of recovery of ecosystem goods and services.
” when you go out there, you see fisher folks fishing, picking perewinkles. The ecosystem is gradually getting restored. Before now, some areas were just bare. And now there are mangroves, perewinkles, and oysters.
”This just early days for us both there are already some significant impact- women can now get to pick perewinkles and earning some livelihood out of the little we have done so far” he maintained.
HYPREP is carrying out over 100 projects across communities in Ogoni as it demonstrates commitment to the full implementation of the recommendations of United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) Report on Ogoni and has continued to open its sites to visitors and stakeholders.
