“We are cleaning up Ogoni land to allow agribusiness thrive again in Rivers”

 Olabode Akindeji-Oladeji, chief executive officer, Oil Off Africa Limited, one of the firms commissioned to undertake Ogoniland clean-up exercise inaugurated in the Rivers state by President Muhammadu Buhari last week, has disclosed that the firm parades technology that cleans, revitalises the land, and re-positions agribusiness.

He affirmed that the clean-up exercise might take 25 – 30 years as declared by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Reports, but submitted that Oil Off Africa would move a bit faster in cleaning up oil spills in Ogoniland, restoring lost vegetation and make agriculture as environment-friendly economic alternative for the people.

Speaking in Lagos on the launch of Ogoniland clean-up exercise, Akindeji-Oladeji maintained that Ogoniland clean-up exercise, which had been launched by Federal Government, would allow practice and investment in agriculture, which in return, will boost and revitalise the economy, not only in Nigeria Delta, but also in the country at large.

The chief executive officer, who was commissioned for the clean-up exercise, alongside foreign partners, boasted the firm is bringing the much-needed technology to clean the oil-rich region of the country in order to make the area economically virile, giving impetus to agriculture to thrive once again in the region.

He said, “Our technology will totally clean the oil off the soil and restore the soil to its original position, so that they can farm the land.  We will clean the oil from the creeks and waters, thus vegetation can grow back there.”

It will be recalled that devastation from the oil spillage has had severe impact on Ogoni people, with billions of naira in investments lost in the region, prompting firms like Oil Off Africa Limited, a subsidiary of Open-Ended Ventures (Africa) Limited founded in 1996, to partner‎ Federal Government in cleaning up the land.

Although the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Reports said it would take up to 30 years to clean up the land, Akindeji-Oladeji said the current effort was step in the right direction, adding that clean-up exercise could be systematically structured to cater for fast and robust restoration of vegetation and Agricultural practice.

He added, “Now, the people of Ogoniland can begin a journey towards economic sustainability, which is something we are very passionate about, at our company. We are constantly thinking about how to make our business friendly to the ecosystem and make it viable at the same time.

“And we are happy that we are part of the journey that will not only change the Ogoni people live economically, but also in terms of their health and sustenance.”