Environment as a personified woman: Maternal motifs in Niger Delta poetry

In African literature, especially Niger Delta eco-poetry, the environment is sometimes depicted as a woman’s womb which houses immense mineral resources but is subjected to persistent exploitation. The extraction of these natural resources, rather than fostering ecological growth, continues to render the region barren and degraded. Using ecofeminism and an anthropomorphic approach, this paper examines how Ibiwari Ikiriko’s Oily Tears of the Delta and Sophia Obi’s Tears in a Basket depict the symbolic use of motherhood to reflect the life-giving essence of the environment ‘whose’ suffering mirrors the socio-political realities of the Niger Delta and her vulnerability to exploitation. The study underscores that maternal motifs serve as a powerful means of humanizing and raising awareness about ecological issues while reinforcing the poets’ critique of systemic exploitation and their call for both environmental and social justice within the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and beyond.