IDFA: Hope Is a Word

Decades after the execution of poet and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, oil extraction still ravages Nigeria. His friend and comrade Nnimmo Bassey inspires a new generation of poets to fight repression and environmental destruction caused by oil companies.

The execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995 sparked protests by human rights organizations around the world. The Nigerian government was accused of murdering the poet and activist. Oil company Shell paid millions to the families of Saro-Wiwa and eight other executed Ogoni leaders, while continuing to deny responsibility for the human rights abuses. More than 30 years later, conditions in the Niger Delta remain disastrous. The land and water are heavily polluted by leaking oil pipelines, making farming and fishing virtually impossible. But Saro-Wiwa’s spirit lives on, offering hope. One of his fellow activists, Nnimmo Bassey, continues to speak at peaceful protests. Even more important are the workshops in which he teaches young poets to put their pain, anger, and frustration into words so they can be shared. Barinedum, for example, who is pregnant, writes deeply personal yet incisive verse, and Bassey’s son Ukpono expresses himself through rap. Armed with pen and paper, the poets travel through the region, inspiring their communities to express themselves. Meanwhile, the veteran activist wonders: is it enough?