By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Project Coordinator, Hydrocarbons Pollution Remediation Project, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey on Wednesday said 2000 hectares of degraded sites are being cleaned in Ogoni Land.
He said this in an interview with journalists at the 17th Meeting of the National Council on Environment in Abuja.
He added that the project is also extended in carrying out mangrove restoration of 560 hectares of former mangrove areas
Zabbey disclosed that 5,000 youths and women are being trained to create a sustainable livelihood.
“Now specifically if you want to link it to the issue of climate change, our mangrove restoration project is a very crucial milestone in protecting the earth from environmental depletions.”
The Project Coordinator reiterated that HYPREP is mitigating the effect of climate change through various types of implementation, adding that mangroves are the best sequesters of carbon.
“They sequester more carbon, five times more than tropical rainforest. our mangrove restoration project is the world’s largest mangrove restoration in an oil degraded environment.
“Globally. as in the largest mangrove restoration project, So we have started with a pilot of 560 hectares and the community pool is fully involved.
“One aspect of our work is to enhance the capacity of the local people, we build the capacity of the local people which we refer to them as environment vandals.
“We provided them with catalytic funds to set up their nostrils. They are the ones supplying mango seedlings to the contractors that are carrying out the mango planting.
“Of course, community people are directly involved in the planting as part of our broad livelihood programme. At the moment we are also training 5,000 youth and women, because we want to create a sustainable livelihood.
“Just last Saturday, two airlines came to Ogoni to interview people that we have trained, youths that we have trained as cabin crew.
“And five of them were employed instantly.
So we are creating all these livelihood opportunities, alternative livelihood opportunities.
“While at the same time restoring the environment to resuscitate the traditional livelihoods of the people which is basically fishing and farming.”
