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Shell must be held accountable for human rights harms related to its business in the Niger Delta
Reacting to news that Nigeria’s oil industry regulator is prepared to offer a fast-track sales approval process for oil companies wanting to sell their businesses in the country, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International Nigeria Director, said:
“With Shell currently seeking regulatory approval for the sale of its Niger Delta business, it is essential that it is held fully accountable for decades of serious human rights abuses related to oil spills which have polluted the environment, contaminated drinking water and poisoned farmland, fisheries and people.
“An offer by Nigeria’s industry regulator to speed up the approval of sales by oil companies that accept responsibility for pollution should not be an easy option that allows Shell to cut and run the pain linked to its operations in the Niger Delta, or that exposes local communities to further harm to human rights.
The sale of Shell must not be allowed to add to the fossil fuel industry’s long and disgraceful history of pollution, leaving further damage in its wake.
Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria
“We are concerned that the proposed fast-track option could give major oil companies the upper hand in negotiations around sales approvals and will exclude affected local communities from the decision-making process. It is also essential that any approval is dependent on buyers having the operational expertise and financial stability to manage the acquired operations safely and effectively, to ensure that local communities are not exposed to lasting harm.
“Amnesty International continues to recommend that any sales approval process relating to Shell’s business in Nigeria must be complete and thorough and involve safeguards to protect human rights, including an environmental study to assess cleaning requirements, an inventory of the physical assets being sold and an assessment to ensure funds are set aside for the potential dismantling of petroleum infrastructure.
“The sale of Shell must not be allowed to add to the fossil fuel industry’s long and disgraceful history of pollution, leaving further damage in its wake. Amnesty International is campaigning for a rapid elimination of fossil fuels and a just transition to renewable energy.”
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Shell announced in January that it had agreed to sell Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) to the Renaissance consortium, which comprises four Nigeria-based exploration and production companies and an international energy group, in a deal worth up to 2,000 euros. 4 billion dollars. , partially financed with a loan from Shell to the buyers. The head of Nigeria’s Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission outlined the accelerated approval option at a meeting with representatives of major oil companies, including Shell and Exxon Mobil, in Abuja last week.