Ogoni leaders, environmentalists, and civil society advocates have renewed calls for the United Nations to officially recognise October 10 as Ken Saro-Wiwa Day in honour of the late writer, environmentalist, and human rights activist.
The call was made in Uyo on Sunday following Saro-Wiwa’s 84th posthumous birthday celebration held on Friday in his hometown, Bane, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State. The event, organised by the Ken Saro-Wiwa Foundation, brought together representatives of civil society groups, youth movements, and communities across the Niger Delta.
Ken Saro-Wiwa, executed on November 10, 1995, by the military regime of General Sani Abacha, remains a symbol of resistance against environmental injustice and political oppression in the Niger Delta.
Director-General of the Ken Saro-Wiwa Foundation, Barry Wugale, said the renewed appeal aims to ensure that Saro-Wiwa’s global contributions to human rights and environmental justice are permanently recognised.
“Today, we are renewing that appeal — that the UN should set aside October 10 as Ken Saro-Wiwa Day to immortalise a man whose vision and sacrifice transcend borders,” Wugale stated.
He explained that the Foundation operates on six key pillars — literacy and literature, activism through art, environmental renewal, future economy, technology and innovation, and partnerships — all rooted in Saro-Wiwa’s ideals.
Wugale added that the Foundation was advancing some of Saro-Wiwa’s unfinished dreams, including a community microfinance scheme for women and an international model secondary school in Bane.
“Saro-Wiwa believed that no Ogoni child should be left behind. He planned for a generation beyond his own, and we will ensure his vision for education, justice, and progress becomes reality,” he said.
President of the Niger Delta Coalition Against Violence, Comrade Lekia Christian, described Saro-Wiwa as a rare visionary whose courage and intellect inspired generations.
“Ken Saro-Wiwa was a man of conviction. His words and works continue to shape the struggle for justice. We will not give up — his name stands for truth and peace,” he said.
The renewed demand follows President Bola Tinubu’s recent posthumous pardon of Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists, nearly three decades after their execution.
