Shell Shocked Land: New Documentary and Webinar to Mark 30 Years Since the Execution of the Ogoni 9
For immediate release
Thirty years ago, on November 10, 1995, writer and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders known as the Ogoni 9, were executed by Nigeria’s military regime for resisting Shell’s oil exploitation and environmental destruction in the Niger Delta.
Thirty years after the execution of writer and activist Ken Saro Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders, the call for justice in Nigeria’s Niger Delta remains urgent. On November 10, 2025, Oil Change International (OCI), in collaboration with the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) under the Protect the Deltas Campaign, will host a webinar and short documentary premiere of the new documentary “Shell Shocked Land.”
The short documentary revisits the story of the Ogoni 9 and exposes the ongoing devastation left by Shell’s toxic legacy in Ogoniland. Through testimonies, archival footage, and contemporary resistance stories, the film connects decades of struggle to today’s climate justice movement and calls for cleanup, compensation, and a just energy transition.
Event Details
Webinar: 30th Anniversary: Honoring the Legacy of the Ogoni 9
Date: Monday, November 10, 2025
Time: 12:00 pm UTC | 3:00 p.m. EAT (Nairobi) | 1:00 p.m. BST/WAT (Nigeria/London) | 8:00 a.m. BRT (Belem, Brazil) | 7:00 a.m. EST (New York)
Featured Speakers
- Charity Migwi: Moderator – Senior Africa Communications & Research Campaigner, Oil Change International
- Noo Saro-Wiwa – Writer and Daughter of Ken Saro-Wiwa
- Kome Odhomor – Communications Lead – Health of Mother Earth Foundation
- Thuli Makama – Africa Director, Oil Change International
- Sokari Douglas – Artist & Activist
On the first day of COP30, as leaders discuss the future of fossil fuels, this story is a powerful reminder that climate justice must begin with accountability, especially for communities like Ogoniland who have borne the brunt of fossil fuel violence.
Quotes
Thuli Makama, Africa Director – Oil Change International, said:
“The story of the Ogoni 9 is an indictment and permanent stain for industry and governments, a sad reminder of how lives are sacrificed at the altar of profits. 30 years on, the land remains poisoned and justice has yet to flow to Ogoniland. Shell Shocked Land is both a remembrance and a rallying cry for accountability.”
Register for the webinar and join the movement for justice in the Niger Delta.
Notes to the Editor
- The Ogoni 9 is a group of nine environmental and human rights activists from Nigeria’s Ogoni region, who were executed on 10 November 1995 by the country’s military regime after speaking out against Shell’s oil pollution and the government’s exploitation of the Niger Delta’s resources.
Led by writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, the Ogoni 9 are a global symbol of resistance to corporate greed and state repression. Their executions sparked international outrage and inspired the founding of Oil Change International, to expose the true cost of fossil fuels and advocate for justice and a clean energy future.
The Protect the Deltas campaign aims to defend Africa’s critical delta ecosystems: the Niger Delta in Nigeria, the Saloum Delta in Senegal, and the Okavango Delta in both Botswana & Namibia from the devastating impacts of fossil fuel extraction. The campaign seeks to ensure no new fossil fuel projects take root in Africa’s most fragile ecosystems.