The richest literary prize in the world, the Nobel Prize, carries a US$1.1 million purse. The richest lit prize in Africa, the NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature, doesn’t quite match up, but it does guarantee the winner a whopping US$100,000. It’s been around since 2004, with the purse increasing from $20,000 to $40,000 in 2006 […]
Video of a worthwhile lecture (recorded in February this year) by Berkeley geographer Michael Watts breaking down the workings of the oil industry. In the lecture–titled “Dispossession and Oil Violence”– Watts riffs off David Harvey’s explanation of the workings of neoliberalism, challenges the “the resource curse” theory, makes fun of Paul Collier’s ideas, and gives his […]
“Nigeria is the world’s 8th largest producer of crude oil, yet remains one of its poorest nations — an estimated 70 percent of its 150 million residents live below the poverty line. The environment is paying a steep price as well. An estimated 500 million gallons of oil have spilled into the delta — the […]
Chevron knows a thing or two about good PR. Something Shell and BP neglected to their peril. Of course we know the difference between good PR and actual actions. Let’s hope these pretty girls’ lives won’t be devastated by another oil company’s exploitation.
It’s the 49th anniversary of Nigeria’s independence from Britain this weekend. From the outset the colonial leaders wanted to prevent the country from developing, but the new leadership class has not been any different. The management of oil revenues plays a big part in Nigeria’s development. From the time of independence–when oil was discovered–until 1999, […]
