Ibrahim Jibril, Minister of State for Environment,said the funds were the required contribution from oil majors.
Ibrahim Jibril, Minister of State for Environment, has said $177 million has been raised for the clean-up of Ogoni land.
Jibril revealed that the funds were the required contribution from oil majors.
Although $1 billion was stipulated by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) for the clean-up in five years, Jibril says the balance will be credited from crude oil refineries in the country.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, the minister said: "The board of trustees have opened an account and that [Ogoni clean-up] account has been credited with the sum of $177 million. This is what is supposed to be given by the oil majors who are there and to pay for the cleaning and restoration of those degraded lands.
“An initial bill of $1 billion was to be used over a period of five years. So, with the $177 million for 2018, the balance of $23 million is expected to come from the refineries.
“We have written to inform the President and he has given the directive that the Petroleum Ministry should handle that issue. So, I believe that before the end of the month, we should raise the remittance of the balance of $23 million that is supposed to make it $200 million for this year.”
While hosting Laure Beaufils, British High Deputy Commissioner to Nigeria, Jibril also expressed the efforts of the federal government to tackle climate change issues in Nigeria.