ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND MILITANCY IN THE NIGER DELTA: AN ECOCRITICAL READING OF TANURE OJAIDE’S THE ACTIVIST AND HELON HABILA’S OIL ON WATER

The Niger-Delta issue has been one of the major concerns of the contemporary Nigerian writers and critics for some times now. In most of their works, both poetry and fiction, they reflect the socio-political realities of present day society. They also depict the plundering of land by the leaders as well as the political and economic marginalization of the downtrodden. It is these realities in the Niger Delta that become the subject of Ojaide and Habila in their literary works. The degradation of the Niger Delta environment through pollution has constituted challenges and concern for the people of the oil rich region. The ecosystem has completely been violated and destroyed. The destruction of the flora and fauna without clean – ups or compensation paid to host communities have resulted in youth restiveness and the up surge of militancy in the region. The violation of the system by the multinationals and the insensitivity of the Federal Government of Nigeria to the plight of the Niger Delta people have also escalated the controversies.This paper therefore seeks to explore the issues of environmental degradation and its attendant consequences like the rise of militancy, Kidnapping, oil bunkering amongst others in the region using Tanure Ojaide‟s The Activst and Helon Habila‟s Oil on Water as the focal texts. The paper also seeks to proffer solutions to this age-long problem in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.