<p>The Niger Delta region in Southern Nigeria has consistently suffered the menace of hydrocarbon pollution. It is therefore necessary to address this challenge by exploring cutting-edge, efficient, and cost-effective materials for its clean-up. A remediation approach using process-optimized surfactant enhanced bio-silica formulation from rice husk was investigated for treating aged hydrocarbon-contaminated soil, collected from Okerenkoko polluted creeks in Delta State, Nigeria. Isolation of bio-silica from rice husk followed standard procedures using a modified Sol–gel method approach. FTIR EDX, SEM, XRD, XRF, and particle size analysis were employed for synthesized bio-silica’s structural, compositional, and qualitative characterization. Its physical and qualitative characterization procedures confirmed the synthesis of high-purity bio-silica in crystalline form from rice husk, with chemical groups found to be characteristics of those present in silica molecules from its FTIR spectral. The isolated silica was process-optimized with a blend of ammonium dodecyl sulphate surfactant to give the optimum conditions for the soil treatment. Optimum conditions were found as pH 5 and 8, ambient environmental temperature, and 2% bio-silica concentration. Treatment efficiency was observed at the optimum remediation rates of 99.20% and 98.51% for hydrocarbon removal at pH 5 and 8 respectively. The remediation rate followed first-order kinetics with rate constant and half-life as 0.053 h⁻¹ (pH 5); 0.048 h⁻¹ (pH 8); and 13 h (pH 5); 14 h (pH 8) respectively. The technique is superior to others in terms of eco-compatibility, remediation speed, and effectiveness. Thus, it should be considered a viable alternative for field application by environmental remediation experts.</p>