By:Tsegaye Hidru 

Earlier this week, before I was fired up to watch the first presidential debate, I had the privilege to view a screening of “Into the Niger Delta,” a documentary about the catastrophic oil spills in the Niger Delta at a special screening atthe Geoarge Washington University in D.C.

Oil pipeline in the Niger Delta

At the event, I met Jeta Amata (@Jetaamata), the acclaimed Nigerian director behind the movie. According to the Guardian, Jeta has been challenging the Nigerian film industry to tackle more politically engaging topics — and “Into the Niger Delta” fits perfectly with this mission.

Watch the trailer here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Pze3itMFUGs

The documentary shows moving stories of how local people’s lives have been altered by the work of different oil companies in the Delta. Over the past 50 years, the oil spills have disrupted and devastated the ecosystems and resources of the Niger Delta. Local people have avoided fishing and stopped using rainwater, as it has become so acidic from the smoke of the non-stop oil rig fire. As a result, many people have been lost their source of income and have moved to different areas.

Many companies have not enforced long-lasting solutions to restore the environment. And even the Nigerian government has failed to develop strategies to help the people who live in Niger Delta.

With all of these challenges, the work and advocacy of Jeta Amata’s film is extremely important to help raise awareness around this crucial issue in Nigeria.

Before watching the film, I didn’t know about these large oil spills. But after watching the film, I have the knowledge and tools I need to take action.

Watch the trailer in the player above, then take action against the oil spills on the Black November website.

http://ONE.ORG