Shell in the Niger Delta 

Shell is often referred to in academic and management literature as a firm that has demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability practices and has gone a long way in addressing some of the darker practices of the past, two of which gained significant media attention namely the issues surrounding the disposal of the Brent Spar oil rig in the North Sea (around the mid 1990's) and Shell's actions in relation to the execution by the Nigerian Government of an anti-Shell activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa and 7 of his colleagues (1995) which also cost Shell many millions of dollars in a 2009 settlement.

Whether this "strong sustainability commitment" tag is warranted is another question - some argue it is very much not so but, for this case study, we will not focus on this broader debate but instead look specifically at Shell’s activities in the Niger Delta.

There is a lot of information on this case, so do some of your own investigations (an internet search is a good place to start) to build a picture of what has happened to date.

Here are some useful items to get started:

Video:   (CNN video - 3 min 6 sec)

 These follow-up articles add additional context to the issues covered in the videos:

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/shell_ordered_to_appear_by_11042006.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/ken-sarowiwa-was-framed-secret-evidence-shows-2151577.html

It's also worth doing a YouTube search "Shell Niger Delta" to see some other perspectives on video.

Shell’s web site: http://www.shell.com.ng/

UN report on Shell’s activities in the Niger Delta: http://www.unep.org/nigeria/

Some news items on that report:

http://www.shell.com.ng/home/content/nga/environment_society/our_response/unep_response.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2010/aug/25/un-nigeria-oil-spill-shell

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/22/shell-niger-delta-un-investigation

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=19616

The Ken Saro-Wiwa case

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/s/ken_sarowiwa/index.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/08/nigeria-usa

http://www.shell.com.ng/home/content/nga/environment_society/ogoni/ken_saro_wiwa.html

Some other press items

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/30/us-shell-nigeria-lawsuit-idUSBRE90S16X20130130

http://ens-newswire.com/2013/01/30/dutch-court-finds-shell-liable-for-nigeria-oil-damages/

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/shell-s-false-claims-niger-delta-oil-spills-exposed-2013-11-07 

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/2501331/niger_delta_oil_shell_ignores_horrendous_pollution.html