Nigerian speakers at UNBC

On "Global Friday" at the University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George BC (November 6, 2009), two Nigerians spoke to a full room about the work of the NGOs they work with & the incredible challenges facing Nigeria as they attempt to bring about sustainable development in that country - that is, development that will factor in the well being of the environment and future generations. I had previously done some reading on what is transpiring in the Niger Delta with oil extraction, and I was curious to hear directly from people who live in that country about their experiences

The two speakers were Juliet Olory, Project Coordinator, Development in Nigeria (DIN) and Godwin Ugah, Program Director, Council for Renewable Energy in Nigeria (CREN). They have been travelling around British Columbia for the last 2 months with joint sponsorship by two Canada-based organizations One Sky and BCCIC. . .

One Sky http://www.onesky.ca/ is an organization based a 2-4 day bike ride down the road (or train tracks) from Prince George in Smithers, British Columbia -- here is the description of what they are all about (looks like an incredibly cool northern BC-based organization!)

Although some might call us an environmental NGO we like to think of ourselves in broader terms that include human rights, human well-being and even human potential. Others might think of us as a development NGO because we work in developing nations but we like to think we are developing ourselves and searching for mutual solutions in a globalized world.

BCCIC is British Columbia Council for International Cooperation http://www.bccic.ca/ & here is their description:

BCCIC is a coalition of BC voluntary international development organizations and provincial branches of such organizations which are committed to achieving sustainable global development in a peaceful and healthy environment, with social justice, human dignity and participation for all.

Juliet spoke first - she discussed the work of Development in Nigeria in assisting to development sustainable livelihoods for people in rural Nigeria - they have a number of programs to build capacity, develop sustainable land use, empower locals & develop programs such as education. She also discussed how Nigeria is the 7th largest oil producer in the world producing 2.4 million barrels/ day (the oil being extracted by the big boy oil companies among them Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil, Chevron) & despite this huge oil extraction, the average Nigerian lives on less than $1/ day in an increasingly polluted environment -- regular oil flaring, thick oil slicks on water. Most towns in the region of big oil development have no services - the people live extremely rudimentary, impovershed - and contaminated - lives.

Godwin Ugah then presented information about the work of the Council for Renewable Energy (CREN), another NGO in Nigeria. The goal of this organization is to look for, promote & help develop alternatives to fossil fuel based energy sources there - he spoke about how Nigeria is considered the 5th most polluted place in the world due to the constant gas flaring. Violence has become commonplace in the Niger Delta in response to the extreme exploitation and harsh poverty that the oil extraction in the area has imposed on the people. Godwin mentioned that the country is rapidly being deforested & turned to desert - despite Nigeria being such a prominent oil producer in the world, the people of Nigeria do not have access to the oil & burn the wood of the forests instead - compared to Canada's 2.32 million barrels / day of oil used (wow it all adds up doesn't it ?!), the country of Nigeria only uses a total of 275,000 barrels/ day.
The goal of CREN is to move wind & solar energy use ahead for the people of Nigeria. He cited government policies (and corruption) as major hurdles - the major oil companies enter into deals with the government but virtually no benefits flow to the people who live in poverty and pollution with no services. Godwin spoke about how the potential for good and evil dwells within each of us & expresses itself in the world in the choices we make & how we choose to conduct ourselves in relation to the rest of the world -- do we carry on with a status quo that may be destructive or take the steps to co-create a new (more sustainable) way of being?

One of the attendees of the talk (not me!) mentioned some of the parallels between what is happening in Nigeria and what is increasingly happening in Canada with the tar sands and big oil & gas here & plans to expand same. . . .

Kim Struthers from One Sky in Smithers also addressed Shell's plan to drill for oil in the Sacred Headwaters of northwest BC - she said if it went ahead, northern BC could become another Nigeria. On a related note, I was happy to hear Wade Davis' Massey Lecture (CBC) in which he addressed this very point. . .

he spoke of how the Sacred Headwaters of northern British Columbia could be a Sacred Headwaters for all of Canada.

Some things are simply sacred, despite how many big oil (or gas or mining for that matter) company dollars might be at stake.

How did money come to be treated with more reverance than all that is sacred in the world, like these special places? . . .

Like the Niger Delta for instance.
Like the Sacred Headwaters of BC.
Like the rivers & creeks that flow through the lands upon which we dwell.
Like the oceans.
Like the land.
Like the planet Earth.