By Queen Kunde
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has strengthened its international collaboration with Lancaster University, United Kingdom, in a bid to promote career and entrepreneurship development in Nigeria.
Led by HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof. Nenibarini Zabbey, and accompanied by the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Alhaji Yusuf Ibrahim, the partnership began with a visit to the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) in September last year. The visit marked the foundation for collaborative research, capacity building, and innovation through the HYPREP Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration.
Building on this initiative, Prof. Zabbey recently attended a high-level stakeholder forum in Abuja, hosted at the Liaison Office of Igbinedion University. Organized by Lancaster University and funded by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), the forum focused on enhancing career and entrepreneurship training in Nigerian universities.
Presenting a pilot program developed in partnership with selected Nigerian universities, the event emphasized the need for impactful multi-sector collaborations across Sub-Saharan Africa. According to Prof. Zabbey, the engagement aligns with HYPREP’s vision to drive sustainable development and capacity building, especially for the youths and women of Ogoni.
“This partnership with Lancaster University is paving the way for transformative initiatives that will not only benefit our environment but also empower Nigerian youths and women through education, innovation, and entrepreneurship,” Prof. Zabbey remarked.
The forum also provided a platform for HYPREP to explore funding opportunities and engage with key stakeholders, including representatives from Nigerian universities, to further its mission of environmental restoration and socio-economic development.
By fostering these collaborations, HYPREP is positioning itself as a catalyst for sustainable development and capacity building in the Niger Delta and beyond.
