HYPREP Coordinator Hails Mangrove Restoration Gains, Urges Action at World Mangrove Day
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has reaffirmed its resolve to protect and restore Nigeria’s vital mangrove ecosystems.
Speaking on the celebration of this year World Mangrove Day in Rivers State, HYPREP’s Project Coordinator, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, spotlighted the¹111¹ significance of mangroves in the Niger Delta and the progress made in restoring degraded wetlands.
According to Zabbey, “Protecting wetlands is not just about conservation. It is about survival. It is about building community resilience. It is about securing a future where our children and our children’s children can fish, farm, and thrive in balance with nature,”
The Project Coordinator described the day’s theme—“Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future”—as a clarion call to unify environmental restoration with social and economic development.
Professor Zabbey emphasized the many roles of mangroves in local and global ecology: “Mangroves maintain water quality, sequester carbon, and sustain unique biodiversity. They provide habitats for countless species, shield shorelines from erosion, and support both cultural and economic livelihoods.”
However, he noted, “In Nigeria, mangrove loss is accelerating due to oil pollution, plastic and industrial effluents, urban expansion, dredging, overharvesting, and deforestation. Between 2010 and 2020, we lost around 20% of Niger Delta mangroves.”
Citing these challenges, Prof. Zabbey renewed HYPREP’s commitment to reversing the trend.
Highlighting groundbreaking progress, Zabbey announced, “HYPREP has undertaken the world’s most extensive restoration of oil-degraded mangrove, completing 93% of Phase 1 restoration at Bomu Creek—covering 560 hectares. To date, we have planted 1,393,223 multi-species mangrove seedlings, carefully reflecting the natural diversity of the region.”
He added that their efforts have successfully removed the invasive nipa palm from many rehabilitated stretches.
Signs of ecological recovery are becoming visible. “After just over a year, some of the planted black mangrove saplings are flowering and producing propagules. Crabs, shrimps, oysters, periwinkles, and mudskippers are returning—clear evidence of environmental revival,” he said.
Prof. Zabbey also stressed the project’s socio-economic impact: “We’ve created over 600 direct jobs for Ogoni youth and women through seedling planting and monitoring. Locally trained mangrove vanguards, empowered by HYPREP’s grants, have nursed and supplied seedlings, meaning the project is amplifying community livelihoods.”
HYPREP plans to expand restoration efforts to additional communities in Ogoniland in Phase 2, set for late 2025. Prof. Zabbey described partnerships as essential: “We’re exploring collaborations with civil society, development agencies, and pushing for the restored Ogoniland mangroves to gain Ramsar Site status, as recommended by UNEP.”
To reduce dependence on mangrove wood, HYPREP has initiated a clean cookstove pilot, with plans to scale up distribution and provide lasting alternatives. Community sensitization and robust monitoring are ongoing, he said, underscoring the need to “shape a sustainable future through science, local knowledge, women’s and youth education, and livelihoods tied to healthy ecosystems.”
He concluded, “Let us be clear: every mangrove restored is a step toward climate stability, economic security, and ecological health. The Niger Delta, with its people and determination, can lead the world in wetland recovery. On this World Mangrove Day, I call on all Nigerians to become guardians of our wetlands—protecting them not just for today, but for all generations to come.”
HYPREP’s celebration of the World Mangrove Day in Rivers State drew environmentalists, community representatives, and policy leaders, all echoing the call to defend and restore Nigeria’s mangroves for the benefit of people and nature.
