No fewer than 17 contaminated sites have been cleaned up and certified in the ongoing Ogoni clean-up exercise, the Federal Government has said.
It also said contracts had been awarded to facilitate six water projects in the area, while 400 Ogoni women have graduated in various small businesses, including agriculture, aquaculture, poultry, among others.
Minister of Environment, Mohammed Mahmoud, who disclosed this to State House correspondents in Abuja, said the project had received a boost lately.
“Just on Tuesday (June 1) we passed the budget of the Ogoni Clean-up otherwise known as HYPREP – Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project. It has gotten a lot of boosts.
“We have a brand new Governing Council. We have a brand new board of trustees and we are Increasing the participation of the union ordinarily they are technical support.
“And now we want to involve them even further by making them like some kind of project management consultant.
“Also we are looking at bringing in more indigenous people that will be part of this process because what we realise is for any project to succeed, you must have the buy-in of the community.
“And so far, so good, I can tell you that project has moved forward, we have about 17 contaminated sites that have been cleaned up and certified clean.
“Then just recently also, we awarded contracts for six water project. Again, we’re working towards additional eight water projects that will be coming very soon,” Mahmoud said.
The minister restated the government’s commitment to end gas flaring in the country by 2030.
