The project coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, Nenibarini Zabbey, has revealed plans to replicate crcCARE, a renowned Australian research centre, in Ogoniland.

This was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday, following a visit to Ogoniland by Ravi Naidu, managing director of crcCARE and academic at the University of Newcastle, Australia.

“They have a functional centre at crcCARE, and we intend to replicate that same model here at the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration in Ogoniland,” Mr Zabbey stated.

crcCARE is a collaborative initiative involving multiple organisations dedicated to developing innovative solutions for the prevention and remediation of soil, water, and air contamination, including the management of solid and liquid waste.

Mr Zabbey emphasised that Mr Naidu’s visit to CEER in Wiiyaakara, Khana LGA, marks a critical step towards reducing regional conflict and agitation.

“The centre will serve as a hub for multidisciplinary, cutting-edge research in environmental remediation, as well as provide practical training and job creation opportunities for local youth and women,” he added.

He commended Mr Naidu’s contributions to the development of remediation technologies, including Permeable Reactive Barriers, one of the advanced techniques that will be utilised for restoring high-risk and complex sites.

According to Mr Zabbey, HYPREP is currently developing a model for environmental clean-up in the Niger Delta and across Nigeria, and as such, strategic partnerships with reputable global industry players are essential for long-term sustainability.

He noted that collaboration with crcCARE, one of the world’s leading centres for environmental remediation, is especially important, given the novelty of the Ogoni Clean-up initiative in the region.

The HYPREP project coordinator further stated that the partnership will offer targeted solutions to the environmental and socio-economic challenges in Ogoniland and Nigeria at large.

In his remarks, Mr Naidu expressed confidence that CEER will continue to address environmental and public health issues arising from pollution exposure.

He confirmed that crcCARE will collaborate with HYPREP and CEER in areas including site assessment, characterisation, remediation, and capacity building. 

(NAN)