Nigeria is rich with oil, producing more than Iraq and Kuwait combined. The country is the fifth-largest supplier of oil to the United States. And it’s “light sweet crude,” …a dreamy kind of oil that needs little refinement.
But, the communities closest to the drills and platforms — the people of the Niger Delta — live in poverty. Without clean drinking water. Without schools. Without jobs. Frustrated by their situation, local men are taking matters into their own hands. They’re forming militias, taking hostages, and disrupting oil flow. Journalist Sebastian Junger went deep into the mangroves and creeks of the Niger Delta. He emerged with a chilling story of violence and despair..
Guests:
Sebastian Junger, journalist and author of the recent Vanity Fair article “Blood Oil”
Nnamdi Obasi, Senior Analyst with the West Africa Project, International Crisis Group
