ABSTRACT
The Niger Delta of Nigeria is known to the world not only for its oil and gas reserves that earn the country over 90% of its foreign exchange but also for its indigenous people, activism, literature, and arts that include the famous Benin bronze figures. The bioregional Niger Delta is the backdrop of literature and arts that are the focus of this book. The water-prone riverine environment influences the arts, festivals, and the literature that it inspires. The numerous minorities that live in the region have established from the beginning socio-cultural relationships based on their needs. In recent times, the Niger Delta has become a geopolitical zone in Nigeria known as the South-South geopolitical zone. Environmental degradation from oil exploitation has become the subject of literature, arts, music, and movies of a people who feel marginalized in the nation and who are struggling for environmental justice and resource control. The different chapters of the book cover the multifarious experiences of the Niger Delta people expressed through their literature and arts.
