LAGOS — Amnesty International has reaffirmed that Shell remains responsible for decades of oil pollution in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, despite the company’s divestment from its subsidiary, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
The statement follows a letter from seven UN Human Rights Rapporteurs urging Shell and other oil firms to uphold their obligations to affected communities. Amnesty’s Nigeria Director, Isa Sanusi, emphasized that divestment does not absolve Shell of its duty to clean up environmental damage and compensate victims.
A civil society study cited by Amnesty found that over 17.5 million liters of oil had leaked from SPDC pipelines, severely impacting local health, livelihoods, and ecosystems. The divestment process, criticized for its lack of transparency, risks perpetuating harm if not paired with remediation efforts.
Shell responded by asserting that SPDC remains accountable for operational commitments, including spill cleanup, and that the divestment was approved by Nigerian authorities following a rigorous process.
Legal proceedings are underway in the UK, where a High Court ruling in June held that Shell and SPDC could be liable for historic spills. The court noted that failure to remediate may constitute ongoing legal breaches, with a full trial scheduled for 2027.
The case underscores growing international recognition of environmental rights, following the UN’s 2022 resolution affirming the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
Shell Symbol by Will Lane
Excerpts from jurist.org article by Salma Ben Mariem | Faculty of Law and Political Science of Sousse, TN
