A meeting with a woman from Nigeria’s Niger Delta becomes the starting point for a deeper examination of gas flaring, environmental harm, and the communities forced to live beneath flames that never go out. This essay explores the human cost of energy production and the gap between legal frameworks and lived realities.

A reflection on emerging as one of the honorees of the 2025 Africa Research Writing Prize organized by Column Content, the ideas behind the submitted essay on green energy transition, and the importance of ensuring host communities are not left behind in the push for renewable development.