Ogoniland is showing the rest of Nigeria what real empowerment looks like. On Friday, October 23, 2026, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project graduated 120 persons living with disabilities in Bori, Rivers State, after months of vocational training, handing each beneficiary a starter pack to launch their own hustle.
According to Punch Newspapers, the graduates trained in five skill areas: fish farming, photography, shoemaking, fashion design and basic computer studies. The ceremony held at Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area.
Skill acquisition at the heart of the Ogoni cleanup
Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, HYPREP's Project Coordinator, told the gathering that skills acquisition remains one of the hallmarks of the project's interventions in Ogoniland. And the numbers back him up.
HYPREP has created more than 8,000 direct jobs and trained 5,000 people from Ogoni communities across 21 vocational skills, with beneficiaries receiving starter packs. Another 2,400 Ogoni youths and women are currently in training covering cybersecurity, rigging, cloud mapping, software development, animation, graphic design, geographic information systems and full-stack development. LEADERSHIP Newspapers reports that these trainees form part of more than 120 projects HYPREP is implementing across Ogoniland, spanning remediation, mangrove restoration, potable water and healthcare.
This is the model African communities have been demanding for decades: not handouts, but hands-on capacity that stays on the ground long after the contractors leave.
Why a special programme for persons with disabilities?
Zabbey did not mince words at the ceremony.
“They cannot move. Those that are crippled are the most vulnerable in our society. And in all our programmes, we try to integrate them. But we feel that we should come up with a special programme for only people living with special needs, the underserved population in Ogoni,” he said.
HYPREP worked closely with leaders of persons living with disabilities to design the training, and the beneficiaries themselves selected the five skill areas. Zabbey personally monitored the programme, visiting the centre to motivate trainees and ensure trainers delivered properly.
“We are empowering them to take charge, to become entrepreneurs,” he said.
“A historic day for Ogoni”
Baridabdoo Ngo, President-General of the Ogoni Association of Persons Living With Disabilities, described the graduation as historic, saying it was the first time persons with special needs had been included in HYPREP's affairs.
“I want to use this moment to appreciate HYPREP for making us gather here today for the first time in the history of Ogoni, that the persons with special needs have been included in the affairs of HYPREP,” Ngo said.
He praised Zabbey for giving a voice to people who are often overlooked, saying the coordinator “cares so much about those that don't have a voice, and they have found him to be a voice for them.”
Ngo also revealed that HYPREP provided walking aids for visually impaired persons and those with mobility challenges, plus hearing devices for people with hearing impairments.
“This is the first time we are witnessing this. And that's why we are so grateful. And we are saying thank you,” he said.
He appealed to HYPREP to sustain the initiative with another training round so more persons with disabilities can benefit, and sent a message of hope to those still waiting.
“If you're hearing my voice, you're my fellow special needs, don't lose hope because those that have not benefited, the next programme coming up, you will benefit,” Ngo said.
From trainees to business owners
The proof is already in the sewing. Zabbey said the beneficiaries assured HYPREP they would not sell their starter packs, and several are already applying their skills.
“And today they have reassured us that they will never sell their starter packs. Some of them are giving testimonies. Wearing the clothes that they made by themselves,” he said.
“Giving testimonies of how they have been sewing for their children and their relatives. And it is hands-on skills. The more they sew, the more they will become perfect.”
Zabbey appealed to Ogoni people and beyond to patronise the new businesses, suggesting that HYPREP's own events should be covered by the newly trained photographers as a way of keeping the money within the community.
One beneficiary, Godfirst Barijasi from Barako community in Gokana Local Government Area, said her 13-year-old niece can now sew clothes for the family.
“I'm very grateful for what HYPREP did for us. Now my niece can sew. I'm very happy because I was spending money every time I was sewing outside,” she said.
Empowerment, the African way
For too long, communities bearing the environmental cost of oil extraction were offered sympathy instead of skills. Ogoniland, which carried decades of hydrocarbon pollution, is now turning that story around with training in everything from fish farming to full-stack development.
The graduation of 120 persons with disabilities signals something bigger: a homegrown programme, run by Nigerians, answering directly to the communities it serves. That is sovereignty in practice, and other regions watching the Niger Delta cleanup would do well to copy this playbook.
Frequently asked questions
How many persons with disabilities graduated from HYPREP's training?
120 persons living with disabilities graduated on Friday, October 23, 2026, at a ceremony in Bori, Rivers State, after months of vocational training.
What skills did the HYPREP graduates learn?
The beneficiaries chose five skill areas: fish farming, photography, shoemaking, fashion design and basic computer studies, and each received starter packs.
How many people has HYPREP trained in Ogoniland overall?
According to HYPREP's Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, the project has trained 5,000 people in 21 vocational skills, created over 8,000 direct jobs, and has 2,400 more youths and women currently in training.