The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has received significant international recognition for its work in Ogoniland, with its Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, honoured with the prestigious crcCARE Fellowship at the Cleanup Conference 2026 in Adelaide, Australia.
Prof. Zabbey was conferred with the fellowship by Distinguished Laureate Professor Ravi Naidu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of crcCARE and Chair of the Cleanup Conference 2026, during the conference’s Gala Night on Tuesday, September 15.
The fellowship recognises Prof. Zabbey’s “sustained leadership and perseverance in advancing the restoration of Ogoniland” and his efforts to bring together communities, researchers, government and other stakeholders in support of collaborative, science-based remediation.
The recognition coincided with a strong international focus on the Ogoniland cleanup at the conference’s Africa Session on Wednesday, September 16.
Delivering the opening lecture of the session, titled “From Environmental Legacy: Africa, Ogoniland and the Path to Restoration Leadership,” Prof. Zabbey presented the Ogoniland remediation experience within the wider context of Africa’s environmental restoration prospects and challenges.
He highlighted lessons from the Ogoni cleanup, identified key drivers of successful remediation and examined Africa’s emerging role in shaping global environmental remediation leadership.
HYPREP’s technical team also featured prominently at the session, delivering technical presentations on various aspects of the project and sharing insights into the scientific and operational dimensions of the Ogoni cleanup.
Presentations relating to the Ogoni cleanup accounted for 83 per cent of the papers presented during the Africa Session, placing the HYPREP project prominently in discussions on environmental remediation and restoration in Africa.
The developments have further raised the international profile of the Ogoniland cleanup, while providing HYPREP with an opportunity to share its experiences, scientific approaches and lessons with researchers, environmental practitioners and other stakeholders from across the world.
The recognition of Prof. Zabbey and HYPREP’s extensive representation at the Australian conference underscore the growing attention being given to the restoration of Ogoniland and the project’s contribution to advancing science-based environmental remediation knowledge and practice in Africa.