Ken Saro-Wiwa

Nigerian activist martyred for environmental justice in Ogoni region

Kenule "Ken" Saro-Wiwa (1941–1995) led nonviolent protests against Shell's oil pollution in Ogoniland. Founding MOSOP in 1990, he organized 300,000-strong marches - Africa's largest environmental demonstrations.

His execution by military regime sparked global sanctions against Nigeria. Posthumously awarded Right Livelihood Award (1994), his Genocide in Nigeria (1992) exposed ecological racism.

Today, Wiwa v. Shell (2009) established corporate accountability precedents. The annual Ken Saro-Wiwa Poetry Prize keeps his vision alive through African literary activism.