An international coalition operating under the International Working Group on Petroleum Pollution and Just Transition in the Niger Delta has urged the federal government to compel international oil companies operating in the region to take responsibility for restoring the environment and livelihoods affected by decades of pollution, despite ongoing divestments.

The appeal came as the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) disclosed that it has achieved a 90 per cent mangrove survival rate in its shoreline remediation efforts across Ogoniland.

The group made the remarks during a visit to Ogoniland on Wednesday to assess and study the ongoing environmental cleanup and remediation projects being executed by HYPREP.

The International Working Group on Petroleum Pollution and Just Transition in the Niger Delta comprises researchers, academics and environmental advocates from Nigeria and other parts of the world with a shared interest in environmental restoration across the Niger Delta region.

Speaking to journalists after the tour, delegation leader and group member, Isaac Osuoka, explained that the visit was aimed at evaluating the situation in Ogoniland and observing the progress of the cleanup exercise.

According to him, the group was established following the findings of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission, which he said mirrored the recommendations contained in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland.

Osuoka described the pollution crisis in Ogoni as only a fraction of the wider environmental devastation in the Niger Delta.

“The entire Niger Delta is severely polluted. It is an environmental outrage. There is hardly any region in the world as polluted as the Niger Delta. We want to see interventions of this scale replicated not only in Bayelsa but across all affected communities in the region,” he said.

He commended HYPREP for the progress recorded so far, noting that the visit offered an opportunity to observe firsthand the remediation work already underway.

“We have visited mangrove restoration sites and remediated lands that were previously polluted. While much more work still needs to be done, there are visible efforts and signs of progress. We intend to take lessons from what is happening here as we continue advocating for a full-scale cleanup of the Niger Delta,” Osuoka added.

He noted that although the delegation’s visit was brief and not sufficient for a comprehensive assessment, there were clear indications of improvement, particularly in efforts aimed at restoring livelihoods disrupted by pollution.

Osuoka further urged the federal government to ensure international oil companies are held accountable for environmental damage caused in the region.

He recalled that the UNEP report recommended an initial funding of one billion dollars over five years for the Ogoni cleanup, adding that Shell was expected to bear the responsibility for those costs.

He stressed that similar accountability should apply across Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers and other oil-producing communities where oil companies had allegedly exited operations without adequately addressing environmental degradation.

Also speaking, Professor Anna Zalik of York University, Toronto, Canada, who is a member of the delegation and a professor of Environmental and Urban Change, said the group’s mission was focused on promoting implementation of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission’s recommendations.

“We are here to learn from the remediation efforts in Ogoni and encourage similar implementation across Bayelsa and the wider Niger Delta. It has been inspiring to witness the level of commitment demonstrated through HYPREP’s work,” she stated.

Kathlyn Nwajiaku-Dahou, Director of ODI Global Politics and Governance Programme in the United Kingdom, also praised the mangrove restoration efforts being undertaken in Ogoniland.

“We came to listen and learn, and I have been particularly impressed by the ongoing mangrove restoration efforts following the cleanup and remediation process. It is encouraging to see this level of environmental restoration taking place,” she said.

Addressing the delegation, HYPREP’s Head of Environmental Remediation, Raphael Sane, explained that livelihood programmes, including skills training, water projects, healthcare facilities and the Centre of Excellence, were all designed to ensure sustainability of the cleanup initiative in Ogoniland.

Sane, who represented HYPREP Project Coordinator Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, acknowledged the challenges associated with large-scale environmental remediation and livelihood restoration programmes.

Earlier, HYPREP’s Mangrove Restoration Officer, Dr. Uche Izuchukwu, informed the delegation that approximately 560 hectares of shoreline had been restored with six different mangrove species planted across the affected areas.

He disclosed that more than 1,532,000 mangrove seedlings had been planted while nearly two tonnes of oil had been recovered from polluted shorelines.

Despite challenges posed by insects and other environmental factors, Izuchukwu stated that the project had maintained a 90 per cent mangrove survival rate.

The delegation visited several project sites, including the Bomu mangrove restoration area, the Kpoghor/Gio water project, the Ogoni Independent Power Plant, the Ogoni Centre of Excellence, the Ogoni Specialist Hospital and an active remediation site.