The Political Rise of Ken Saro-Wiwa (Part I)
Before he became an activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa was a writer, television producer and politician. This episode traces his early life, his role in the Nigerian Civil War, and the experiences that shaped his worldview.
Hosted by Wale Lawal
Jan 22, 2025
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Our second season focuses on the life and legacy of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a writer and one of nine non-violent Ogoni activists the General Sani Abacha military government brutally executed in 1995. The Ogoni are an ethnic group situated in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. For years, they have suffered pollution and environmental degradation stemming from crude oil extraction on their land. Saro-Wiwa's protests against oil companies such as Shell, including his leadership of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), frustrated the Abacha government, which relied heavily on oil exports.
Hosted by Wale Lawal.
Before he became an activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa was a writer, television producer and politician. This episode traces his early life, his role in the Nigerian Civil War, and the experiences that shaped his worldview.
