⭐️ My latest work⭐️
I’ve written this report, published by @columbiagr , which traces the rise of the insurgency that emerged after my father, Ken Saro-Wiwa, was murdered by the Nigerian military dictatorship in 1995 after peacefully campaigning against oil spills in the Niger Delta. This militant demand for control of our oil resources became entangled with politics, upending our social hierarchies and further damaging the environment (oil companies’ are not off the hook, though).
Writing about this hasn’t been psychologically easy for me, but I’m glad I did it. During my research I travelled around the delta, visiting ex chief militants like Ateke Tom and Ogunboss in their mansions, and chatting with reformed insurgents like Confidence Mac-Eteli, who is now a successful and passionate farmer. I was inspired by him and by female activists like Emem Okon (my hero!) who outlines how society undervalues women to its own detriment. Hers and Mac-Eteli’s insights and anecdotes have given me so much food for thought. Writing this report has helped me figure out how I can streamline my contributions to a region whose complexity can feel overwhelming. Solar power is the only way forward, and The Tango Tyrant’s “lovely stay” in Iran only underlines why we need to pivot away from oil ASAP.
“The Burning Ground” is a quick read, released on 14th April in the US, and 28th May in the UK. To pre-order copies, see link in bio or URL below.
Huge thanks and gratitude to Columbia Global Reports.
/p/books/the-burning-ground-oil-and-militancy-in-nigeria-noo-saro-wiwa/a14baf851f34a21a
#nigeria #kensarowiwa #noosarowiwa #oil #nigerdelta
Was taken to a surprise pottery wheel throwing class to celebrate my 48th loop around the sun. I blame the alcohol for the final result. My friends force-fed me bottles of rosé, then called my bowl a “polished turd”. 😭 Thanks @serenitawong ❤️
#birthday
As it’s my birthday, I thought I’d treat you to an incredibly accurate depiction of me as a pensioner, via FaceApp. No smiles coz I’ll have no teeth by then… I’ll be sucking those Ferrero Rochers.
It’s always nice to turn a year older. Ageing is an achievement, and my goal is to outperform you all so that I can write my enemies’ obituaries 💅🏾❤️
An article I’ve written for The Dial, looking at how oil extraction has eroded society in the Niger Delta. It’s an edited excerpt from my latest publication, “The Burning Ground”, published by @columbiagr and out now in the US, and on 28th May in the UK.
Article link in bio, and URL here:
https://www.thedial.world/articles/news/nigeria-oil-industry
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#theburningground #nigeria #columbiaglobalreports #noosarowiwa #nomoreoil
I taught Yotam Ottolenghi everything he knows, and I’ve watched his career progression with great satisfaction 😉 You can read my Q&A Globetrotter interview with him @condenasttraveller . Link:
traveller.com/article/yotam-ottolenghi-interview
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#condenasttraveller #yotamottolenghi #noosarowiwa
Took the train from my hometown Port Harcourt to Aba. Haven’t used this form of transport in Nigeria since I was 12 when my father put my siblings and me on a train to the north — a rough, three-day ride, by ourselves, on decrepit rolling stock.
I was hoping to repeat a small portion of that journey but this time on modern, Chinese-made trains. Turns out they haven’t built any in my home region. My friends Fyneface and Eno-Obong Etukudoh and I missed out on the first-class tickets, so we had to sit in cattle class.
At one station, a man objected to Fyneface’s phone camera. He jumped up to our window, tried to snatch the phone, then picked up a rock and threatened to throw it at us. Apart from that, and the sight of oil spills, it was a great experience. Train rides are the best, luxury or otherwise.
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#trains #nigeria #noosarowiwa #riversstate
When @tunde.morakinyo.37 , the executive director of @ani_foundation , showed me a photo of this massive silk cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra), I redirected my domestic flight to come visit Okomu National Park, near Benin City in Nigeria. I’ve honestly never seen a buttress this big. Southern Nigeria once had forests full of these specimens, but now you’ll only find them in places like this 200 sq km reserve that’s hanging on for dear life. There are shy forest elephants – including my baby nephew, Agbaibor 😍 – plus hornbills whose flapping wings making an incredible ‘whoompf’ sound. I also saw 3-foot-long monitor lizards, putty-faced monkeys, a giant snail the size of two fists, and termite mounds that look like cute, man-made toadstools. The forest also has pangolins, crocodiles, red river hogs, forest buffalo, duikers and more.
Even without seeing any animals, walking in greenery like this was a breath of fresh air – literally. Anyone familiar with southern Nigeria knows how rare it is to come by such quiet, unpolluted, virgin greenery. We must protect this place at all costs. Thankfully, ANI Foundation has made visits here safe, well-organised and visitor-friendly (they supply wellies too). 🇳🇬🌴
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#nigeria #okomunationalpark #noosarowiwa #anifoundation #africa
Say hello to my beautiful nephew, Agbaibor, an orphaned forest elephant being raised by hand in Okomu National Park near Benin City in Nigeria. He was seen wandering alone in a palm oil plantation last November when he was only a few months old. Rangers tried to reunite him with his herd but with no luck, so a team led by the @ani_foundation gave him formula and round-the-clock care. He was named after the ranger, Agbaibor Ofurokumor, who first looked after him. In the early days, this baby elephant couldn’t sleep unless his head was resting on Ofurokumor’s lap. 😭❤️
Thanks to the help of Liz O’Brien, a Zambian elephant orphan specialist, Agbaibor is now thriving (swipe to see the video). The plan is to reunite him with the wild herd eventually. Meeting him was a rare privilege. It’s been my dream to interact with a baby elephant, but I never imagined I’d end up doing it in my own country of origin. Nigeria doesn’t protect its wildlife enough. Animals are considered either a source of “protein” or a commodity to be swapped for cash, dead or alive. Forest elephants are critically endangered here; Okomu National Park only has around 40 left due to poaching and habitat loss through logging and farming. If you want to help these animals, do consider donating to @ani_foundation , which is doing a magnificent job of protecting Okomu National Park and – importantly – giving local residents alternative livelihoods. 🇳🇬🐘
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#nigeria #elephants #africanatureinvestors noosarowiwa
My favourite writing assignment this year.
I attended the African Diaspora Salon, an annual three-day event that brought together a stellar gathering of people from Africa and its diaspora to listen and participate in talks about our cultural and economic futures.
Held at the beautiful @jnanetamsna hotel in Marrakech, it was inspiring to be in the presence of such smart, talented entrepreneurs, authors, AI engineers, Hollywood actors, academics, etc. I met a four-time Olympic sprint hurdler and even ended up doing an informal photo shoot with 90s supermodel, Chrystele Saint Louis Augustin (not on my bingo card for 2026 😆) In fact I ended up snapping a lot of people — those dresses against the hotel’s yellow walls 😍
We listened to talks, debated, danced and ate fabulous food. Huge thanks to Meryanne Loum-Martin, the hotel owner, salon founder, and one of the coolest, most impressive people you’ll ever meet.
Read my article about it here:
traveller.com/article/inside-the-diaspora-salon
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@vgracelily@elloweezee@katpowl @
My feature on Greenland is the cover story in this month’s Condé Nast Traveller. There’s something uniquely cleansing about Greenland. Despite recent political events it’ll always be a place where you can truly lose yourself; beautiful people, beautiful island.
Thank you, @nomadgreenland and @anika_krogh and @sangjay_choegyal for an unforgettable trip; and hats off to @elisehassey for your exquisite photography, including an aerial shot of me kayaking around an iceberg! (swipe) 😄 🇬🇱
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#condenasttraveller #greenland #noosarowiwa
My feature story about the Central African Republic — in the December issue of Condé Nast Traveller magazine, out now. I never imagined I’d ever visit this country. You only hear about the war and Wagner mercenaries, yet its southwest rainforest is relatively protected by the WWF and full of wildlife (a gorilla even ran in front of our car one afternoon 😍). A beautiful corner of Africa that few visitors get to see.
Thanks @simonwinnall for the photography. And thanks @cooksonadventures for this incredible experience. 🇨🇫
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@henrycookson_@tamsin_graham@travelwithcarlo
Link: traveller.com/article/inside-africas-green-heart-where-wildlife-rules-the-roost
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#condenasttraveller #centralafricanrepublic #africa #noosarowiwa
