Environmental Activism and Digital Advocacy in Nigerian Drama: Reimagining the Niger Delta Oil Crisis in J.P. Clark's All for Oil and Sam Ukala's Fumes of Fuel

This paper investigates the evolution of Nigerian drama as a medium for environmental activism, specifically addressing the ecological disruptions triggered by petroleum extraction in the Niger Delta. Through a comparative textual analysis of J. P. Clark’s All for Oil and Sam Ukala’s Fumes of Fuel, the study explores how dramatic structure, characterisation, and symbolism expose the realities of resource exploitation, corporate irresponsibility, and local resistance. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of eco-dramaturgy and digital Intermediality, this research defines and deploys the concepts of "algorithmic truth" - the sanitised, quantitative metrics used by state and corporate entities to mask environmental devastation and "visceral truth", the qualitative, embodied reality of ecological trauma presented on stage. By comparing Clark’s historical exposition of colonial trade monopolies with Ukala’s postcolonial representation of gas flaring and pipeline disasters, the paper maps the trajectory of the Delta's exploitation. Furthermore, this study offers recommendations for digital advocacy, proposing how these activist plays can be preserved and remediated through digital archiving and intermedial adaptation to secure postcolonial data sovereignty. Ultimately, the paper demonstrates how Nigerian drama acts as a critical counter-narrative, bridging physical performance and digital preservation.