By Obiabin Onukwugha
Project Coordinator of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, has stated that the project decided to embark on livelihood programs for Ogoni as part of the ongoing remediation, so that beneficiaries can become financially independent and contribute to the development of their families and Ogonis at large.
Prof Zabbey made the submissions at the graduation and close-out ceremony for 120 physically challenged Ogoni persons trained in photography and fashion and design, at Nortem Town Hall in Bori, Khana local government area of Rivers State, at the weekend.
He explained that the agency’s livelihood programmes are designed to promote inclusiveness by empowering vulnerable and underserved groups in Ogoni. He said the initiative formed part of HYPREP’s broader commitment to ensuring that the benefits of the Ogoni cleanup project extend beyond environmental remediation to include economic empowerment and improved living conditions for community members.
Prof Zabbey, highlighted the importance of the training for people living with disabilities. He recalled that as someone who has advocated for inclusiveness, providing livelihood program for people living with disabilities feels fulfilling.
He also stated that the initiative was introduced to address gaps in previous interventions, particularly the inadequate involvement of women and persons living with disabilities in livelihood programmes by HYPREP.
“When this current administration started, we looked at the interventions of HYPREP in Ogoni, specifically in the area of livelihoods, and we felt that something was lacking,” he said.
The HYPREP coordinator said the project decided to engage the leadership of persons living with disabilities in Ogoni to identify their needs and jointly develop programmes that would improve their livelihoods, describing the event as one of the most fulfilling moments of his leadership.
“For me, as one who has been advocating for fundamental human rights over the years and preaching inclusivity, I think this is the greatest day for me in my three years in office because we have touched the lives of the most vulnerable in Ogoni,” he said.
Zabbey, a biological scientist and biomonitoring expert, likened the vulnerability of persons living with disabilities to that of indicator species in ecology, which are unable to move away from polluted environments and must either survive the impact of contamination or die.
He said the comparison highlighted the need to pay special attention to people who face difficulties moving around or navigating their environment, describing them as among the most vulnerable members of society.
“Because inclusivity is the watchword of the project, we felt that the underserved population, women and people living with special needs were not properly captured in the affairs of the project,” he said.
He revealed that HYPREP worked with representatives of persons living with disabilities in Ogoni to identify five vocational skills: basic computer training, shoemaking, fashion and design, photography, and fish farming.
He also explained that the 120 graduates represented part of the programme, adding that other participants would complete their training and graduate in the coming weeks.
The graduates were also provided with starter packs and mobility aids, including white canes, wheelchairs, hearing aids and crutches, to support their movement and help them establish their businesses.
Zabbey appealed to individuals, organisations and communities in Ogoni to patronise the graduates and support their businesses, stressing that local support would be important to the sustainability of the programme.
“We want to use this opportunity to ask Ogoni people to patronise them. I will personally patronise them. Those who were trained in photography should cover our programmes because that is the only way we can support them,” he said.
He assured the graduates that HYPREP would continue to monitor their progress and provide follow-up support to ensure their businesses succeed. “I assure them that we will not just give them starter packs today and leave them alone. We will continue to follow up their businesses,” he added.
Zabbey said HYPREP had adopted a bottom-up approach to its livelihood interventions, involving community members in identifying their needs, planning programmes and developing sustainable businesses.
He explained that the agency no longer regarded community members simply as beneficiaries but as project partners whose ideas and ambitions should shape interventions designed to improve their lives.
“They are our project partners. The new paradigm in community development is that we should stop referring to people as beneficiaries. For every intervention that will benefit community persons, we should plan with them,” he said.
According to him, the programme for persons living with disabilities was particularly significant because it focused on a group that often faces additional barriers to economic opportunities.
