HYPREP awards postgraduate scholarships to 500 Ogoni graduates, providing ₦500,000 to master’s students and ₦1 million to PhD candidates

The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has awarded postgraduate scholarships to 500 Ogoni graduates in Rivers State to strengthen research, develop local expertise and support sustainable development in Ogoniland.

The project coordinator, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey, announced the awards at a scholarship ceremony on Friday, October 23, 2026, urging beneficiaries to use their education and research to address challenges facing their communities.

Also read: Tope Alabi threatens legal action over online defamation

Under the scheme, 300 master’s degree students received ₦500,000 each, while 200 doctoral candidates received ₦1 million each.

Zabbey said the initiative was designed to build human capacity and encourage research across different academic disciplines as part of HYPREP’s efforts to implement recommendations in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland.

He described the scholarships as an investment in the future of the area and an opportunity for beneficiaries to contribute to its development.

“I congratulate all the beneficiaries of the HYPREP Ogoni Postgraduate Scholarship. For many of you, it is finally a dream come true.

Beyond the grant, this intervention is also about renewing hope and the future we are co-creating in Ogoni,” he said.

The project coordinator stressed that the beneficiaries had a responsibility to apply their knowledge to improving society.

“Education gives you knowledge, but it also places a responsibility on you to use that knowledge to improve society,” he said.

He urged the postgraduate students to treat the scholarship as a call to service and develop practical solutions to the environmental, economic and social challenges affecting their communities.

Zabbey said the programme would also help prepare graduates to contribute to different sectors of the economy and advance sustainable development in Ogoniland.

He added that HYPREP would continue implementing environmental remediation and livelihood improvement projects in line with the UNEP report.

However, he noted that the agency’s objectives could not be achieved without the active participation of researchers, community members and other stakeholders.

“Just as the success of the Ogoni clean-up exercise requires the commitment of all stakeholders and partners, Ogoni’s future depends on the contributions of its people, particularly postgraduate students,” he said.

Zabbey identified government institutions, Rivers State Government agencies, local government councils, traditional institutions, Ogoni communities, Renaissance Africa Energy Limited and civil society organisations as among the partners involved in supporting HYPREP’s work.

Also read: Tope Alabi threatens legal action over online defamation

The scholarship scheme is expected to strengthen postgraduate education and encourage research that can contribute to environmental recovery, improved livelihoods and long-term development in Ogoniland.