Activist Urges Participation in 30th Anniversary Memorial for Ken Saro-Wiwa and Ogoni Martyrs

A Niger Delta environmental rights advocate, Celestine Akpobari, has called on activists, civil society organisations, international partners, and community leaders to actively participate in the 30th Anniversary Memorial Lecture in honour of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the eight other Ogoni martyrs.

The memorial event is scheduled to take place today, Friday, October 10, 2025, at the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

In a statement issued in Port Harcourt, Akpobari said the lecture would serve as a moment of reflection on the sacrifices of Saro-Wiwa and his comrades, who lost their lives in the struggle against environmental degradation, injustice, and corporate exploitation in Ogoniland and the wider Niger Delta.

He described the memorial as an opportunity for Nigerians and the international community to recommit to the ideals for which the Ogoni Nine stood — justice, accountability, and environmental restoration.

“Thirty years after their execution, the issues Ken Saro-Wiwa fought for remain largely unresolved. Our environment continues to suffer, and our communities still face poverty and neglect despite their enormous contributions to the nation’s wealth,” Akpobari said.

He added that the memorial lecture would also highlight progress made since the 1995 tragedy and galvanize support for ongoing efforts toward the full implementation of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report on the clean-up of Ogoniland.

Akpobari noted that the event would feature key environmental advocates, government representatives, and members of the international community, who would speak on the theme of sustaining the legacy of Ken Saro-Wiwa and advancing environmental justice in the Niger Delta.

He urged Niger Delta youths and community leaders to use the occasion to renew their commitment to peaceful advocacy and responsible activism in pursuit of a cleaner, safer, and more equitable region.

Ken Saro-Wiwa, a writer, environmentalist, and leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), was executed alongside eight of his colleagues on November 10, 1995, following their conviction by a military tribunal under the regime of General Sani Abacha — an act widely condemned around the world.