HYPREP Empowers 620 Ogoni Indigenes with Scholarships, Disability Skills Training

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has empowered 620 indigenes of Ogoni in Rivers State through postgraduate scholarship grants and vocational training for persons living with disabilities, as part of efforts to promote inclusive development and sustainable livelihoods in the oil-producing communities. The interventions saw 500 postgraduate students receive scholarship grants in Port Harcourt on Thursday, October 22, 2026, while 120 persons living with disabilities graduated from vocational training programmes in fashion designing and photography in Bori, Khana Local Government Area, yesterday. Speaking at the two events, HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, said the initiatives reflected the federal government’s commitment to human capital development, inclusive empowerment and the recovery of Ogoni under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. At the scholarship award ceremony in Port Harcourt, Zabbey charged the beneficiaries to deploy their academic knowledge, research and professional expertise towards addressing the developmental challenges facing Ogoni communities. He described the scholarship scheme as an investment in the region’s future, urging the students to see the grants as a call to service rather than merely financial assistance. “Education gives you knowledge, but it also places a responsibility on you to use that knowledge to improve society. I encourage you to see this scholarship as a call to service,” he said. Zabbey urged the postgraduate students to develop innovative solutions, establish professional networks and contribute to building a peaceful and economically sustainable Ogoni. He explained that the scholarship programme aligned with the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which identified alternative livelihoods and human capacity development as important components of the response to Ogoni’s environmental challenges. The coordinator acknowledged concerns raised by some beneficiaries over delays in disbursement but maintained that HYPREP remained committed to its obligations, noting that public projects required due process, accountability and careful planning. One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Bara Uloma Celestine, a PhD student of Mathematics Education at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, said the grant would ease the financial burden associated with her studies and research. “Despite all the expenses, I, on behalf of others, am very sure that the sum given to us will go a very long way. Not just to pay our school fees, but to carry out our various research works in our various fields and to publish some things at hand,” she said. Similarly, Mr. Bienebari Solomon Oscar, a PhD student of Development Studies at the University of Port Harcourt, commended HYPREP for what he described as a transparent process. “I can attest today, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey has shown that there are still leaders who have people at heart. The transparency of this whole programme and the way of handling everything, we are very satisfied,” he said. At the graduation ceremony for persons living with disabilities in Bori yesterday, Zabbey said the training marked the fulfilment of an initiative that began in 2023 following appeals by the leadership of the Ogoni Persons Living with Disabilities. He disclosed that HYPREP commenced vocational training for 300 persons living with disabilities, with the first batch of 120 graduating after completing courses in fashion designing and photography. The graduates comprised 60 beneficiaries trained in fashion designing and another 60 in photography. According to him, HYPREP had provided starter packs to enable the beneficiaries to establish businesses immediately after graduation. The project also distributed assistive devices, including wheelchairs, crutches, guide canes, hearing aids and prosthetic legs, to support their mobility and independence. “What started as an appeal has today become a reality,” Zabbey said, describing the initiative as evidence of HYPREP’s commitment to inclusive development. He commended the leadership and members of the disability community for their constructive engagement, patience and peaceful approach, which he said helped make the programme possible. The coordinator urged the graduates to form cooperatives and business clusters to strengthen their enterprises, support one another and expand their economic opportunities. He also warned them against selling their starter packs and assistive devices, stressing that HYPREP had introduced a post-training monitoring mechanism to track beneficiaries’ progress. Zabbey said HYPREP’s interventions extended beyond environmental remediation to include potable water, healthcare, education, livelihood support, peacebuilding and community engagement, with the objective of ensuring that no segment of the Ogoni population was left behind. He expressed optimism that the remaining 180 trainees would graduate in subsequent ceremonies, urging the beneficiaries to become ambassadors of the Project in their communities.