Posted by The Human Cost of Nigeria’s Oil: Exploring the Niger Delta through the lens of The Burning Ground
Join the Columbia University Club of Fairfield County (CUCFC) for an exclusive virtual briefing with award-winning author Noo Saro-Wiwa. In her newest release, The Burning Ground, Saro-Wiwa returns to her roots in the Niger Delta—the epicenter of Nigeria's oil wealth and its environmental struggle.
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Key Discussion Points:
- Evolution of protest: How the Nigerian government’s harsh crackdown on peaceful campaigners turned into an armed insurgency.
- Lack of government accountability: its unforeseen effects on society, from illegal refining to a web of oil theft with international reach.
- Upturned social hierarchies: How the oil industry and militancy has shifted power dynamics with profound political and environmental consequences.
- View from the bottom: Insights drawn from the author’s conversations with former militants
- The undervalued role of women: Women hold families together, farm the land and operate as effective peacekeepers yet their marginalisation creates a feedback loop of poverty that fuels militancy and illegal oil refining.
- Beacon of hope: Insights drawn from the author’s conversations with individuals making positive changes towards sustainable development in a region whose future will have global impact.
Following Noo's presentation, CUCFC President, Ben Nneji, will lead a moderated Q&A session that explores the intersection of resource management, social justice, and the future of the region.
Here's a link for buying the book - The Burning Ground: Oil and Militancy in Nigeria.
Noo Saro-Wiwa is an award-winning author and travel writer. Born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and raised in the United Kingdom, she is the daughter of the late activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. Her first book, Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria, was named the Sunday Times Travel Book of the Year and was nominated for the Dolman Best Travel Book Award.
A graduate of King’s College London and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, her work has appeared in The Guardian, The New York Times, and Condé Nast Traveller. In her latest work, The Burning Ground (2026), she continues her exploration of the complex socio-political landscapes of West Africa, cementing her reputation as a vital voice in contemporary non-fiction.