By Abbas Nazil
Stakeholders from oil-polluted communities in the Niger Delta have urged Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to take full responsibility for decades of environmental degradation before completing its divestment from the region.
The call came during a meeting organized by the EDEN Resource Centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, which brought together representatives from Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, and Abia states.
Participants demanded reparations and compensation for the long-standing damages caused by oil exploration, insisting that Shell and its successors must clean up the environment before transferring operations.
Deputy Executive Director of EDEN, Alagoa Morris, described Shell’s divestment as an attempt to evade accountability for years of pollution and human rights violations.
He emphasized the need for affected communities to unite and confront oil companies that have continued to exploit them under different corporate identities.
Community representatives narrated experiences of recurring oil spills, polluted farmlands and rivers, poor crop yields, health complications, and declining livelihoods.
They condemned Shell’s divestment strategy as a mere name change that leaves the same exploitative structures in place.
Women’s rights advocate, Keziah Okpojo, highlighted the importance of involving women in climate and environmental justice initiatives, noting that they bear the brunt of pollution’s impact on families and food systems.
EDEN’s Media Manager, Elvira Jordan, called on communities to use social media to expose environmental injustices and pressure both corporations and regulators into action.
Several speakers, including Jonah Gbemre and Nelson Nwafor, recounted cases of intimidation, unfulfilled promises, and neglect by oil companies. They lamented that despite legal victories, such as the 2002 court ruling against gas flaring, implementation has remained elusive.
Stakeholders resolved to continue mobilizing for climate justice, environmental accountability, and restoration of livelihoods across the Niger Delta.
