By Abbas Nazil
The cleanup of oil spills in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, long plagued by environmental devastation and human suffering, has been deemed a “total failure,” according to a trove of leaked United Nations (U.N.) documents.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (Hyprep), the agency tasked with restoring polluted sites to their former fertile state, is accused of gross mismanagement, corruption, and incompetence.
Reports highlight a systematic failure to deliver on promises of remediation, with cleanups often leaving behind contaminated wastelands unsuitable for farming or human habitation.
Satellite imagery from 2021 revealed barren land outside Port Harcourt, a site Hyprep claimed to have restored. Instead of green farmland, the area resembled a sandy “moonscape,” laden with petroleum contamination far exceeding Nigerian health standards.
U.N. investigations uncovered that Hyprep awarded cleanup contracts to firms with no relevant expertise, some of which were construction companies or general merchants.
These firms, described as unqualified in multiple reviews, allegedly botched the remediation efforts and yet continued to receive lucrative contracts.
Critics, including former Nigerian Environment Minister, Sharon Ikeazor, have called out Hyprep for its reliance on politically connected companies that lacked competence.
Ikeazor alleged that most cleanup contractors were owned by politicians, with capable firms sidelined from significant projects.
Internal correspondence between U.N. officials and Nigerian authorities echoed her concerns, warning of “significant opportunities for malpractice” in contract awards.
A 2022 U.N. review found that nearly half of the contractors hired had no experience in environmental remediation.
Adding to the controversy, laboratories hired to test soil samples reportedly lacked the necessary equipment to perform the analyses they claimed.
One prominent U.K. laboratory used by Hyprep admitted in a letter that its tests for much of 2022 were flawed and unreliable.
The U.K.’s laboratory accreditation service confirmed that the lab had been suspended twice. Although Hyprep’s current director, Nenibarini Zabbey, insists that these issues have since been addressed, critics argue the damage to public trust is irreparable.
Auditing and financial oversight within Hyprep were also heavily criticized. U.N. assessments revealed that auditors were often obstructed and treated as adversaries. Shekwolo’s predecessor as Hyprep chief allegedly blocked financial controls and physically barred auditors from verifying completed work.
A 2021 U.N. review warned that the agency’s spending lacked transparency, raising concerns about accountability for the $1 billion fund allocated for cleaning up Ogoniland, an area heavily impacted by oil spills.
The cleanup initiative was launched following a landmark 2011 U.N. report that documented the extensive environmental and health impacts of decades of oil spills in the Niger Delta.
Shell, Nigeria’s largest private oil and gas company, contributed $300 million to the fund but maintained a limited advisory role in the cleanup efforts.
Responsibility for managing the funds and executing the project fell to the Nigerian government, with Hyprep at the helm.
However, leaked documents suggest the project’s execution fell far short of expectations, with multiple sites left severely polluted.
Efforts to address the agency’s shortcomings have faced resistance. In 2022, Ikeazor received a letter from U.N. Senior Project Advisor, Muralee Thummarukudy, highlighting irregularities in contract awards and warning of pervasive malpractice.
She acted swiftly, removing then-acting Hyprep chief, Philip Shekwolo, whom she believed was too close to political interests.
However, her tenure as environment minister was abruptly cut short, and Shekwolo was reinstated just months later.
Ikeazor’s removal and the subsequent rehiring of Shekwolo are seen by some observers as indicative of entrenched political interference.
Shekwolo, who previously headed oil spill remediation efforts for Shell, denies the allegations against him, calling them “baseless” and “cheap blackmail.”
He insists that cleanups during his tenure were successful and that no credible reasons were given for his removal.
Zabbey, his successor, claims that 16 out of 20 sites targeted in the project’s first stage have been certified as clean by Nigerian regulators and returned to their communities.
However, independent reviews and firsthand accounts paint a less optimistic picture.
Communities in the Niger Delta continue to bear the brunt of environmental degradation. Frequent oil spills devastate farmlands, water sources, and fishing livelihoods, leaving residents with few options for survival.
In Bayelsa state, the Ogboinbiri community experienced its fourth spill in three months in late 2023, destroying fields and streams.
Farmers like Timipre Bridget describe a dire situation with no harvests and no way to sustain their families.
The U.N. officially ended its involvement in the Nigerian oil spill cleanup last year, citing the completion of its five-year consultancy.
However, sources close to the project suggest that the decision was driven by frustration over systemic corruption and the lack of meaningful progress.
Ikeazor corroborated this view, stating that U.N. officials were disillusioned by the inefficacy and malfeasance they encountered.
Despite assurances from Hyprep’s leadership that reforms have been implemented, skepticism remains high.
The legacy of failed cleanups, financial mismanagement, and political interference has undermined confidence in the agency’s ability to address the Niger Delta’s environmental crisis.
For many residents, promises of remediation have translated into continued suffering and a grim outlook for their future. END
Source: Africanews