…Restates Commitment to Transformative Actions in Ogoniland
By: Felix Ikpotor
Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey has emerged the Daily Independent Social Impact Man of the Year, 2025.
The Award was presented to him at Eko Hotels, Lagos, at the Independent Awards 2025 Silver Jubilee Edition.
According to the Managing Director and Editor -in- Chief, Independent Newspapers, Steve Omanufeme, the award was to celebrate 25 years legacy of editorial credibility, with the theme, “Game Changers: Breaking Barriers, Shaping Tomorrow”.
Omanufeme explained that the Awardees emerged through thorough public voting, editorial board review, and assessment by reputable judges.
He stated that Prof. Zabbey’s emergence is a recognition of his significant commitment, life-changing interventions and transformative actions in Ogoni communities as Project Coordinator of HYPREP.
With over two decades of experience in Research, Advocacy, Capacity Development, Administration, and Global Networking, Prof. Zabbey has transformed the socio-ecological landscape of Ogoniland with his leadership of the Ogoni Cleanup.
In about three years in the saddle at HYPREP, Prof Zabbey has brought the Ogoni cleanup Project closer to the people by initiating people-centric programmes. Prominent among them are the creation of over 7,000 direct jobs and the training of Ogoni youth and women in high-demand skills in Creative Arts, Cabin Crew, Seafaring, and Mechatronics.
Other high-demand skill training he has initiated for Ogoni youth and women include Commercial Diving and Underwater Welding, Mud logging, Full Stack Development, Cybersecurity, GIS and Cloud Mapping, among others.
HYPREP, under his leadership, has also trained 5,000 Ogoni youth and women in 21 Skill sets, including Argon Welding and Metal Fabrication, Offshore/Onshore Operations, Crane Operation, Solar Panel and CCTV Installation, and Data Analytics, and has provided beneficiaries with start-up kits.
To build local capacity in environmental management, the Project, under Prof. Zabbey established 31 environmental clubs in secondary schools, initiated a robust internship programme for undergraduates, and trained 2500 Ogoni youths with International Maritime Organization (IMO) certification who are community workers at various HYPREP shoreline cleanup and mangrove restoration sites.
Combining Science and Indigenous Knowledge, Prof. Zabbey is leading the worlds largest restoration of oil-degraded mangroves. The successful cleanup of over 1000 ha of shoreline and the restoration of 560 ha with thriving, multi-species mangroves that stimulate biodiversity recovery and local fisheries have led to the designation of the Ogoni mangrove wetlands by the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands as a Ramsar Site of international importance.
Other social impact initiatives rolled out by Prof. Zabbey include the award of education support grants and scholarships to over 1000 Ogoni undergraduate and postgraduate, business support for 60 SMEs, training of 300 persons livinig with special needs in 5 skill sets, prioritising the construction legacy and social transformative projects, such as the Ogoni Power Project and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration, the Ogoni Specialist Hospital and a Cottage Hospital, in addition to strengthening hospitals and health centres in Ogoniland.
To enhance health emergency and referral services, HYPREP, under Zabbeys leadership, donated five ambulances to four general hospitals and one health centre in Ogoni. Other landmark social impact initiatives and projects being driven by Prof Zabbey include providing potable water to over 43 communities and constructing wind-powered water facilities in sparsely populated Ogoni communities to foster inclusivity.
His engagement of 1,000 youths in Civil Security, as a nonkinetic security approach, has enhanced HYPREP peacebuilding in Ogoniland. Equally, the robust engagement with ex-artisanal refiners in Ogoni is yielding both social, economic and environmental dividends. No doubt, Prof Zabbey is stretching the frontiers of community and public service to engender sustainable development in the Niger Delta region and beyond.
Expressing delight in the emergence of the Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey as the Social Impact Man of the Year, 2025, HYPREP believes this prestigious Award, which came through a meticulous and well coordinated voting process by the flagship Independent newspaper: one of the most read newspapers amongst the political and business elite, acknowledges the strategic shift under the leadership of the Project Coordinator, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, which has moved beyond simple environmental cleanup to include comprehensive sustainable livelihood initiatives, community empowerment, and social inclusion.
Speaking on the Award, the Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey said it is a proof of the fact that HYPREP’s approach to the Ogoni cleanup—covering environmental restoration, health, and economic livelihood, the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration and the Ogoni Power Project —is delivering lasting value.
“We remain committed to the ‘Renewed Hope’ Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deliver a fit-for-purpose cleanup that restores not just the soil, but the livelihood of our people, ” the Project Coordinator assured.
HYPREP expresses appreciation to the management of the Daily Independent Newspapers for the recognition, the Federal Ministry of Environment for oversight, and the Ogoni communities for their continued support, acceptance and ownership of various projects done in the area.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to remediate polluted lands and restore the livelihoods of communities affected by oil exploration in Ogoniland, based on the UNEP Report recommendations.
