The Federal Government has successfully cleaned up 1,700 hectares of oil-contaminated shoreline in Ogoniland and trained 2,500 Ogoni youths and women in oil spill response and remediation efforts.
Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, disclosed this on Wednesday during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja. He highlighted the landmark achievements under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, including what he described as the world’s largest mangrove restoration initiative, being implemented by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).
According to the Minister, the pilot phase of the mangrove restoration covering 560 hectares is already 85% complete, with over 2 million red, black, and white mangrove seedlings planted.
> “This is Nigeria’s first mangrove restoration project involving multiple species. A total of 540 Ogoni youths and women have been engaged as community workers to support this vital environmental effort,” Lawal said.
He further revealed that the Ministry, through HYPREP, has commissioned nine out of ten major operational water treatment stations in Ogoniland, now supplying potable water to over 30 communities.
In addition, HYPREP is constructing a 100-bed Ogoni Specialist Hospital, currently at 67% completion, and a 40-bed Buan Cottage Hospital, which is 90% complete, to address critical health challenges resulting from years of oil pollution.
To strengthen healthcare delivery, four existing hospitals in Ogoni communities—Bori, Kpite, Nchia, and Terabo—have been upgraded with modern medical equipment.
The Minister also announced other national initiatives, including the registration of over 16,000 environmental health practitioners across public and private institutions by the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON). He added that 158 facilities have been issued carbon footprint certifications to support Nigeria’s climate action goals.
In partnership with UNIDO and the Government of Japan, the Ministry also commissioned a $2.9 million upgraded plastic polyethylene recycling facility at Iddu, Abuja, to drive sustainable waste management.
Addressing concerns around Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), Lawal said that 1,470 individuals have been trained in GMO detection and analysis by the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) to enhance regulation and safeguard health and biodiversity.
He also highlighted ongoing afforestation and reforestation projects in Bagga Forest Reserve (Borno), Tila (Arewa LGA, Kebbi), Agwada (Kokona LGA, Nasarawa), and Karara (Lokoja LGA, Kogi).
Under the Ministry’s Bamboo Development Programme, Lawal announced the commencement of a Bamboo factory in Kogi State, with feasibility studies for similar factories
