HYPREP, WHO Launch Cancer Research Study in Ogoniland

By Ifeanyichukwu Paschal Anyanwu

In a decisive move to address the long-standing health crisis in the Niger Delta, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), in partnership with the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), has officially commenced a comprehensive human biomonitoring study across Ogoniland.

The project, which fulfills a critical 2011 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recommendation, aims to investigate the link between decades of oil pollution and the rising cases of terminal illnesses, particularly cancer, among the local population.

The research team, supported by academics from Rivers State University, began a series of high-level stakeholder engagements this week, visiting the palaces of traditional rulers in Tai and Gokana Local Government Areas.

The mission of the visit is not focused on physical remediation of soil, but rather of the body, seeking to quantify the level of toxic hydrocarbons and benzene present in the blood and tissues of Ogoni residents who have lived there for generations.

During a courtesy visit to the Gbenemene of Tai Kingdom, His Royal Highness, Samuel L.A. Nnee, welcomed the team, describing the palace as an extension of HYPREP. The monarch emphasized that the health of his people remains the ultimate priority, noting that while the community has seen progress in land clean-up and livelihood programmes, the internal biological damage caused by environmental toxins remains a terrifying unknown that requires urgent scientific clarity.

"We have grown to the level where we know that this body is like a car; it needs maintenance. If you don't maintain it well, the spirit and the soul will leave," he said.

Similarly, during a visit to the ruler of Gokana Kingdom, King Festus Babari Paago Bagia JP, Gberesaakoo XIII, who was absent but represented by His Royal Majesty, Mene Steven Kobani, Paramount Ruler of Goi Community, the region was identified as one of the most impacted zones in the Niger Delta. It was noted that for years, benzene levels in the air were so high that breathing became difficult during the afternoon heat.

"Goi was highly contaminated; in the afternoon, you find it difficult to breathe because it is so toxic. We don't even know the cause of the various sicknesses we suffer; we only imply it is the oil. But this time we are going to hear the truth. I don't mind providing myself as a guinea pig for this study so that we can finally find a medical solution to the problems of the Gokana people," he stated.

Addressing the Council of Chiefs, Professor Iyenemi Ibimina Kakulu and Damian Paul Agui of HYPREP clarified that the visiting team consists of researchers and epidemiologists, not contractors. They appealed for unhindered access to all parts of the communities, explaining that the study will involve volunteers who will provide samples to enable IARC to map out the health status of the region and recommend medical interventions.

"We are here to introduce the team that is coming to do the Ogoni Health Survey, what we call the Human Biomonitoring Project. They're not coming to do a HYPREP job; they are coming to carry out a study. That study was recommended by the UNEP as part of the UNEP recommendations: to have an access to the communities, all the communities of Ogoni land, carry out a study. So, what we came to do this morning is to pay a courtesy visit to you and introduce the team to you," they said.

The biomonitoring exercise is expected to provide scientific data on the long-term health implications of oil pollution in Ogoniland and guide future medical and policy interventions aimed at addressing environmental health concerns in the region.