2026 Ogoni Day: Group Tasks Local Farmers on Continued Agriculture Activities

News in brief:

-Lekeh Development Foundation calls on Ogoni farmers to persist with agriculture despite decades of environmental pollution.

-The initiative links sustainable farming to food security, youth empowerment, and the legacy of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine.

During the 2026 Ogoni Day commemoration in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, the Lekeh Development Foundation called on local farmers to continue their agricultural activities, emphasising that farming is central to food security, community resilience, and environmental restoration.

Executive Director Friday Nbani addressed farmers from across Ogoniland, reflecting on the continued environmental degradation decades after the murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni activists. He highlighted that the event is both a day of remembrance and a rallying call for resilience.

Agriculture as Resistance and Reclamation

Nbani described Ogoni farmers as “cultivators of resistance,” asserting that every seed planted and every harvest produced is an act of defiance against pollution, corporate neglect, and historical injustice. He stressed that collaborative, organic farming and the sharing of indigenous knowledge empower youth and safeguard food security.

He noted that contaminated water, degraded soil, and a lack of government support remain challenges, but sustainable agricultural practices have enabled farmers to reclaim productivity and hope.

Youth Empowerment and Skills Development

The foundation has provided skills training, entrepreneurship support, and sustainable agriculture programmes, equipping young Ogonis to turn contaminated land into productive farms. Nbani emphasised that food security is freedom, and that the act of farming is inseparable from environmental and community empowerment.

Reclaiming the Legacy of the Ogoni Nine

Nbani urged farmers to 'hold hoes as high as any protest sign,' connecting their daily agricultural labour to the legacy of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine. He called for collective action from all Ogoni people, at home and in the diaspora, to invest in their land, transform pain into purpose, and build an Ogoniland where development respects dignity and protects the environment.

He concluded by celebrating the resilience of farmers and youth, highlighting that sustainable farming in Ogoniland is not just a livelihood but a powerful statement of reclamation, justice, and hope for the future.