Washington Post: The paradox of oil- and gas-rich African nations: Plenty of natural resources, but still in need

In her ongoing work about daily life in Angola, Ghana and Kenya, among other countries affected by the oil and gas activities, photographer Nicola Sacco has sought to understand the impact on youths and their local communities of the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in oil and gas-rich African countries have established a number of projects that aim to support local communities, embrace responsibility for corporate actions and encourage a positive impact. Some observers criticize these projects, saying it’s not always clear if they really intend to improve living conditions of the residents or are only “greenwashing” — putting on a mask of being eco-friendly. In Sacco’s view, a paradox exists in many regions where oil and gas is extracted and processed, but the communities lack the necessary infrastructure to take advantage of the resources for their own internal use.

“My photographs try to highlight the so called ‘oil curse.’ The photographs show not only desperate areas like the Niger Delta, where the environment and the society are devastated by decades of oil spills, oil thefts, government negligence and corruption, but also daily life images where you can see the hard work that schools, NGOs and local individuals carry out in order to alleviate these imbalances for the betterment of the youth. Oil and gas rich countries like Luanda where you see young boys skateboarding, or in Ghana where a women washes her clothes, are all part of the same context where local NGOs operate to bring education and protection to vulnerable communities.”
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