Amnesty International has called on Nigeria’s federal government to prevent Shell’s planned $3 billion divestment in the Niger Delta from exacerbating the region’s human rights abuses and environmental degradation.
Amnesty highlighted the decades of environmental and health damage suffered by Niger Delta communities due to Shell’s operations, warning that a poorly managed withdrawal could further harm these vulnerable populations.
Presenting the report “Tainted Sale? Why Shell’s Divestment from the Niger Delta Must Not Harm Human Rights” in Port Harcourt, Amnesty International’s Head of Business and Human Rights, Mark Dummett, emphasized the urgency of government oversight. He cautioned that Shell’s divestment should not release the company from its obligations to clean up oil pollution, repair aging pipelines, or prevent future sabotage.
“Amnesty has documented extensive human rights violations linked to oil pollution in this area, where Shell has operated since the 1950s,” said Dummett. He expressed concern that the sale would strip affected communities of access to adequate remedies and potentially expose others to new risks.
The report recommended a range of measures, urging the government to ensure that any new owner commits to environmental remediation, community consultations, and emission reductions. It also proposed that Shell act as a guarantor, holding future operators accountable for potential damages.
For decades, oil spills have devastated health and livelihoods in the Niger Delta, where nearly 1.5 million tons of oil have been spilled into the environment since the late 1950s. Amnesty underscored that Shell has generated billions from these operations and should not simply “wash its hands of the problems and leave.”
Amnesty’s report also acknowledged that Shell is not solely responsible for the pollution, pointing to federal and state authorities as other key actors in the ongoing environmental crisis.
