Martha Agbani
Martha Agbani | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Alma mater | Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic |
| Years active | 2003– |
| Organization | Lokiaka Community Development Center |
| Known for | Environmental activism |
Martha Agbani is a Nigerian environmental activist.[1] She is the founding director of the Lokiaka Community Development Center, which advocates for the rights of indigenous Ogoni women farmers.[2][3]
Early life and education
[edit]Agbani was born in Khana, Nigeria.[2] Her mother was an activist who protested against the multinational oil company Shell in the 1990s.[4] As a teenager, she was a student in Bori City,[1] and eventually attended Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic.[2]
Career
[edit]After the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995 and her mother's death in 2001, Agbani joined the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People in 2003.[2]
Following two oil spills in 2008 that damaged mangrove forests and fishing areas in Bodo, Nigeria, Shell had agreed to compensate the town approximately $83.5 million USD and replant mangroves.[5] Agbani began to grow mangroves to sell to Shell and,[6] in 2009, established the Lokiaka Community Development Center, a non-governmental organization that aims to support Ogoni women farmers to maintain the natural environment.[7] According to Nigerian online newspaper TheCable, the organization sells mangroves to oil companies at a rate of approximately ₦500 – ₦1,000 (US$0.33 – US$0.66) per seedling.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Maclean, Ruth (2021-09-03). "The Nigerian Activist Trying to Sell Plants to the Oil Company That Destroyed Them". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ a b c d e Chime, Vivian (2022-09-28). "SPOTLIGHT: Martha Agbani, the Ogoni activist empowering women through mangrove restoration". TheCable. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ AriseNews (2024-09-04). "NGO Moves to Restore Five Million Mangroves in Niger Delta". Arise News. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ "West African Climate Activists at the Forefront of the Movement for Climate Justice". The Climate Reality Project. 2023-07-18. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ Faul, Michelle (2015-01-07). "Shell, villagers agree to $83.5 million for huge oil spill". Associated Press. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ Udegbunam, Oge (2022-08-02). "Facing oil pollution with little govt attention, Niger Delta residents begin replanting mangroves". The Premium Times. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ Lijfering, Siri (2019-12-12). "Vice Versa: "A woman is not meant to stand in the spotlight"". Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action. Retrieved 2024-02-20.