Niger Delta

• Overview


  • Legal action against Royal Dutch Shell over environmental damage in Nigeria
  • Ogoni people and activists, including Ken Saro-Wiwa, protested against Shell’s operations
  • Shell was accused of complicity in human rights abuses, including the Nigerian government's execution of Saro-Wiwa in 1995
  • Multiple lawsuits were filed in Dutch, UK, and Nigerian courts, with some settlements and rulings in favor of affected communities
• Environmental impacts


  • Cancer-causing bacteria 900x more common
  • Poor sanitation
  • Pollution
  • Limited/no access to clean water
  • Local schools and hospitals underfunded
  • Oil spills - 550 in 2014, 30 years and $1 billion to clean
• Human impacts


  • Nigerian government and Shell benefit, locals don't
  • 70% in Niger Delta below poverty line
  • 31 million people
  • 75% of income in Niger Delta comes from oil
  • Fishing and agriculture damaged
  • Mangrove forests damaged
  • Cultural erosion and deprivation