HYPREP Expands Ogoni Postgraduate Scholarships to 500 Beneficiaries

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has increased the number of postgraduate scholarships for Ogoni indigenes from 300 beneficiaries in 2024 to 500 this year, reaffirming its commitment to education, capacity building, and sustainable development.

Speaking at the sensitisation workshop for the 2025 postgraduate scholarship support grant in Port Harcourt, HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, described the expansion as a demonstration of the agency’s promise to empower more Ogoni youths.

“Year after year, we have shown our commitment to investing in young people, because their education and expertise are crucial for the sustainable development of Ogoniland and Nigeria at large,” Zabbey said.

He explained that the scholarship will help beneficiaries fund their research and defray study expenses while encouraging them to pursue excellence and innovation. “This is an investment in brilliance, research, and aspirations. But it must be earned, as the award is built on merit, accountability, and fairness,” he added.

The HYPREP boss also highlighted ongoing interventions including training of over 5,000 Ogoni youths, skills development in creative arts, seafaring, mangrove restoration, proposal writing, as well as large-scale projects such as environmental restoration, potable water provision, the Ogoni Power Project, and the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration.

Calling for peace and constructive engagement, Prof. Zabbey urged communities and scholars to avoid negativity when delays occur in project processes. “HYPREP is a federal government project bound by rules and procedures. Rather than resort to criticism, I encourage stakeholders to seek answers through proper channels so that the Ogoni cleanup and its benefits can reach every household from fisherfolk in Bodo to farmers in Korokoro,” he appealed.

He stressed that Ogoni youths remain the greatest beneficiaries of the project and must champion peace, unity, and education to ensure the long-term success of the Ogoni cleanup.

“This scholarship is more than financial aid it is a pathway to restored livelihoods, peace, and economic rebirth for Ogoniland. We are building not just researchers, but a generation capable of shaping the future of this land,” Zabbey concluded.