MILITANCY AND FEMALE HEROIC RECONFIGURATION IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA: AN ECO-FEMINIST DISCOURSE OFAHMED YERIMA’S LITTLE DROPS

Abstract

This paper is an eco-feminist discourse of Ahmed Yerima’s play Little Drops with regards to female heroic reconfiguration in the militant Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The aim of the paper is to examine the phenomenon of militancy in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and how it reconfigures the females towards heroism, through the lens of Yerima’s play Little Drops. Being a textual analysis, the paper adopts qualitative research approach, with the primary text Little Drops as the primary source of data, and other reference materials in print and on the internet as secondary sources of data. Close reading and critical analysis and writing are employed as methods of data analysis in this paper. Some of the key findings in this paper show that, Yerima sees collective action by women as key towards female heroic reconfiguration. Also, the paper finds out that Yerima through this play sees a filial connection between women and the natural environment. Hence, they share in the pains of plunder and devastation of the environment. Again, the study finds out that Yerima uses his play Little Drops for a radical dismantling of patriarchal tradition in order to achieve female heroic reconfiguration in a militant environment of the Niger Delta and other such militant eco-systems. The paper concludes that Yerima’s Little Drops as a literary drama is quite apt in conscientizing women on how navigate towards survival as heroines in militant environments.