The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has awarded postgraduate scholarships to 500 Ogoni graduates in Rivers State to support advanced education, strengthen research and promote sustainable development in the region.
The Project Coordinator, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, disclosed this on Friday, October 23, 2026, during the scholarship award ceremony. He said the initiative was designed to build human capacity, encourage research across different academic fields and create opportunities for beneficiaries to contribute to the development of Ogoniland.
Under the scheme, 300 students pursuing master’s degrees received ₦500,000 each, while 200 doctoral students received ₦1 million each. The grants amount to a total of ₦350 million and are intended to help beneficiaries meet some of the financial demands of their postgraduate studies and research.
Zabbey congratulated the recipients, describing the intervention as an investment in the future of Ogoni communities. He urged them to recognise that the scholarship came with a responsibility to apply their knowledge towards addressing societal challenges and improving the lives of people in their communities.
He encouraged the beneficiaries to develop innovative ideas and research-based solutions to the environmental and socioeconomic problems confronting Ogoniland, stressing that postgraduate students had an important role to play in shaping the region’s future.
The project coordinator explained that the scholarship programme formed part of HYPREP’s efforts to implement recommendations contained in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland, particularly those relating to human capacity development and the promotion of alternative livelihoods.
The UNEP report outlined the environmental challenges associated with oil pollution in Ogoniland and recommended measures to support environmental restoration and improve the wellbeing of affected communities. HYPREP’s interventions include environmental remediation, mangrove restoration, provision of potable water, public health initiatives and livelihood support.
Zabbey noted that achieving lasting environmental recovery and sustainable development would require the collective efforts of researchers, government institutions, local councils, traditional authorities, community organisations and other stakeholders.
He identified government agencies, the Rivers State Government, local government councils, Ogoni communities, Renaissance Africa Energy Limited and civil society organisations among the partners involved in supporting the project’s objectives.
He reaffirmed HYPREP’s commitment to environmental restoration and livelihood improvement, adding that research and the active participation of educated members of the community would be important to the long-term success of the Ogoni cleanup programme.
The scholarship award represents a continuation of HYPREP’s investment in postgraduate education, with the number of beneficiaries increasing from 300 in 2024 to 500 under the 2025 scholarship programme, according to the agency’s published records. The latest awards are expected to strengthen academic research and equip more Ogoni graduates to contribute to the region’s development.
Post a Comment