One green shoot at a time: the women restoring mangrove forests in the oil-ravaged Niger delta

The Guardian Africa · Oct 2, 2026

In a region of Nigeria blighted by decades of pollution, Martha Agbani and her team are not just replanting trees but regaining ownership of their lost lands and livelihoods A toxic landscape was familiar to Martha Agbani when she was growing up – the smell of crude oil in the air, rivers running black and trees dying on the banks. In Ogoniland, in Nigeria’s oil-exploited Niger delta, Agbani saw the spills rot away the mangrove forests and destroy the livelihoods of communities around her. Now, she is training women to plant them back – one fragile green shoot at a time. Continue reading...