ABSTRACT
This chapter moves beyond existing literature on the conflict in two ways. First, it seeks to situate structural conditions in place. Second, the chapter traces how interpretive activities, partly informed by place, transformed conditions to construct insurgent identities. Building on insights from 'resource access literature', 'society-rooted politics' and place-sensitive social movement theories, it argues that violent conflict emerges at the intersection between structural conditions, place-specific characteristics and place-informed interpretive activities. The resource availability approach provides a materialist explanation of the Ogoni conflict, which involves elements of grievances and greed theories. The political economy of conflict argues that both grievances over exploitation and greed to acquire more resources for provincial needs explain why people resort to contentious politics. Both the resource scarcity and society-rooted politics perspectives emphasise the critical role played by the movement organisation, Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) and leadership in the rise of the mobilisation.
