The river Ethiope in Nigeria is precious for local communities, but sadly, it has been abused due to industrial contamination, oil spill, and other sources of pollution. Although efforts to clean up the river have been going on for years, the river just can’t seem to get ahead. But now, maybe her time has come. An initiative has been launched to establish legal rights for this special river. If successful, the river would be the first waterway in Africa to be recognized as a living entity, which helps make protection, conservation, and restoration a much more straightforward process.