1.3 Million Mangrove Seedlings Planted for Ogoni Environment Restoration – HYPREP
Ogoni, Rivers State | July 24, 2025 OVL News
In a significant stride toward environmental recovery in the Niger Delta, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has announced the successful planting of 1.3 million mangrove seedlings as part of the Ogoni Environment Restoration Project.
This major milestone, disclosed by HYPREP’s Project Coordinator, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, marks one of the largest mangrove restoration efforts in Nigeria’s history.
The initiative, he said, is aimed at reviving the devastated ecosystem of Ogoniland, which has suffered decades of environmental degradation due to oil exploration and spills.
“Our target is ecological renewal. Mangroves are essential in restoring biodiversity, preventing erosion, and mitigating climate change effects.
This 1.3 million seedlings milestone is a step closer to reviving the ecological wealth of Ogoni,” Professor Zabbey stated during a field inspection in Bodo City.
The restoration effort is a key component of the broader $1 billion United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)-recommended cleanup of Ogoniland, initiated following a 2011 UNEP report that exposed severe pollution in the region.
The report urged immediate and wide-scale remediation of oil-impacted sites and the replanting of mangroves and aquatic vegetation.
Ogoni’s once-thriving mangrove ecosystem has been reduced to what environmentalists describe as a “blackened wasteland” due to continuous oil spills and industrial pollution over the past 50 years.
According to HYPREP, the mangrove replanting program was executed across multiple communities in Gokana, Tai, Khana, and Eleme Local Government Areas.
Local youths were trained and engaged in the nursery development and planting process, aligning with HYPREP’s mandate to incorporate host communities in the remediation process.
“We are not just cleaning the environment; we are building human capacity and restoring hope,” Zabbey added.
The project has also received technical support from international partners and local environmental scientists, with real-time satellite monitoring to track growth and survival rates of the seedlings.
Community leaders in Ogoni have expressed cautious optimism. Chief Solomon Kpee of K-Dere Community described the effort as “the first real sign of change in decades,” but called for sustained efforts, continuous monitoring, and long-term investment in community health and livelihoods.
Environmental groups, including the Niger Delta Youth Movement and the Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD), have applauded the initiative but urged HYPREP to hasten remediation of other contaminated sites and ensure transparency in implementation.
With this development, HYPREP says it plans to scale up the planting to over 2 million seedlings by mid-2026, alongside the rehabilitation of polluted creeks and the implementation of potable water projects.
As the world shifts toward green recovery and climate resilience, Nigeria’s commitment to restoring Ogoniland may serve as a model for post-extractive environmental justice, if sustained.
