World News for Students of English

06-02-2025 07:00

Protesters in Nigeria oppose the government’s plan to restart oil production in Ogoniland, one of the most polluted regions in the world. For decades, oil spills have poisoned Ogoniland’s water and land, making life difficult for its people.

A 1 billion dollar cleanup project launched in 2018 has failed, leaving residents frustrated and demanding more effort and compensation. Despite the massive budget, cleanup efforts remain ineffective. Many had hoped oil production would bring prosperity, but instead, they lost their clean environment. The cleanup agency HYPREP faces serious allegations of mismanagement. Its leader denies corruption, but Nigerian authorities have warned he could face arrest.

As the government moves to restart oil extraction, many fear a repeat of past environmental destruction. Families of activists who lost their lives opposing oil exploitation in 1995 believe their struggle was in vain. For many in Ogoniland, suffering has replaced the prosperity they once expected.

Difficult words: compensation (money paid to someone in exchange for something that has been lost or for some problem), mismanagement (managing something badly or wrongly), in vain (without success or a result), exploitation (making use of and benefiting from resources).

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