Nigerian environmental team arrives in the UK to pick up tips about Ogoniland clean-up

NIGERIAN environmental officials have participated in a working visit to the UK as part of an international working visit facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) to pick up ideas on how to go about cleaning up Ogoniland.

Like most parts of the Nigeria Delta, Ogoniland has been blighted by oil spill, leaving its rivers polluted and local industries like fishing totally decimated. Despite promises to clean up the area, the government has so far failed to address the problem but in an indication that the process may soon begin, a delegation has arrived in the UK to equip themselves with international best practices.

Led by Nigeria's environment minister, Suleiman Zarma, the team will observe an extensive range of in-situ and ex-situ remediation techniques, such as soil washing, bioremediation, thermal desorption and separating techniques, among others. It is envisaged that these demonstrations and visits will lead to the building of a hydrocarbon pollution remediation project, a dedicated institution to manage the clean-up process under the oversight of the environment ministry.

Environment ministry spokesman Saghir el Mohammed, said: “The United Nations Environment Programme assessed the extent and severity of the contamination in 2011 and found severe and widespread contamination due to oil production spanning several decades. Experts have said that the restoration of Ogoniland initiated by the Federal Government of Nigeria could prove to be the world’s most complex and longest oil clean-up exercise ever undertaken.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria has committed to follow the United Nations Environment Programme’s recommendations. Thus, upon assumption of office in 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari underscored his resolve to restore livelihood in the oil-contaminated Ogoniland, by creating the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, a dedicated institution to manage the clean-up process under the oversight of the Federal Ministry of Environment.”

They will visit five sites in the UK, as part of a series of the international tour, including Biogénie’s Trecatti and Redhill soil treatment facilities in South Wales and southeast England. Also, they will visit the Coed Darcy regeneration project in South Wales, the former Avenue Coking Works in the East Midlands, and ALS Laboratories in northwest England.

“Biogénie’s Trecatti contaminated soil treatment facility in Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales is able to clean-up a variety of contaminants with a specific focus on soils impacted by petroleum hydrocarbons. In addition, the Biogénie’s Redhill soil treatment facility in South East England operates at a larger scale and can accept a wider range of types of waste.

“It also acts as the main treatment facility for London and the South East. In addition, the visit will be an opportunity for the delegation to visit Coed Darcy, one of the largest regeneration projects in the UK. It was formerly occupied by the BP Llandarcy Oil Refinery until operations ceased in the mid-80s.

St Modwen is currently working with Atkins to clean up and redevelop the site in a sustainable way. By 2027, this redeveloped site will be transformed into a new £1.2bn urban village that will house around 10,000 people,” the spokesman added.