Question: What is the funding structure and time line for implementation?
Answer: The UNEP report recommended an initial capital of $1 billion contributed by the oil industry operators with prevailing interests in Ogoniland and the government to fund the remediation project. NNPC and the oil companies have agreed on a sharing ratio which I have approved as follows: a) Joint Venture Partners , – 80% b) The Refineries – 5% c) Federal Government (through the 15% Ecological intervention Fund) As for timeline, environmental restoration is not an event. It is a process that involves clean up, building of facilities and planting. Above all that, it involves engaging the communities and other stake holders and getting disparate views into a sustainable alignment before we even get the freedom to implement the remediation. To this end, I wrote recently to Mr. Erik Solheim, the UNEP appointed special envoy for Ogoni Land on the need for a multi-stakeholder workshop on environmental assessment of Ogoniland UNEP report. I believe the time has come to inject fresh urgency into this process and address collaboratively and collectively, how this might be progressed as a priority, to restore these lands and waters and to give the Ogoni communities fresh hope and opportunity. We would like the UNEP to facilitate the workshop. We hope to draw on the expertise of the relevant national and international agencies and the communities to construct a robust roadmap to deliver a comprehensive remediation programme. Delivery and restitution will be the focus of the workshop.
Question: At this point, I want to ask about restoration for other Niger-Delta communities who have suffered similar ecological impacts. Are they on the radar?
Answer: Naturally, I am expecting that lessons from the Ogoni restoration work can be applied elsewhere in the Niger-Delta and, indeed, other regions of the country that at any time face similar environmental degradation problems. I want all hands on deck. Please join us. We are counting on your support.