The Nigerian government has said the ongoing remediation project of the hitherto polluted Ogoniland, which was launched in 2016, has created 775 jobs for qualified Nigerians.

These groups include the Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF); Gbo Kabaari, a group of Ogoni elders, and Youth and Environmental Advocacy Centre, among others.

In its own statement issued on Tuesday to mark the fourth anniversary of the commencement of remediation work in Ogoni land, the advocacy centre described the cleanup activities within the last four years as a waste.

"Advocacy Centre, however, regrets to note that four years down the line, neither the black crude nor emergency measures has been cleaned up or implemented by HYPREP in Ogoniland," the statement signed by the centre's executive director, Fyneface Dumnamene, noted, adding that; "Four years down the line, Ogoni people are still drinking polluted water and could be exposed to contracting coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as they do not have clean and/or running water to wash their hands regularly as recommended by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)."

The UNEP Recommendation

Following the invitation of the Nigerian government, in 2011, the United Nations Environmental Programme, UNEP, carried out an assessment of the oil pollution in Ogoni and surrounding communities.