Profit, Pollution and Lies: Interrogating Shell’s Divestment Claims in the Niger Delta

In May 2021, CEO of Shell, Mr. Ben van Beurden announced at its annual general meeting that the company will be divesting its crude oil assets from the Niger Delta, effectively bringing to a close nearly 70 years of Shell’s profitable crude oil venture in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. Justifying the decision to divest, the CEO explained…

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Webinar: Stop Shell – Reparations for the Niger Delta

On the 23rd of September, We the People partnered Tipping Point, Bertha Foundation, War on Want, the People’s Health Tribunal, and Climate Reparations to host a webinar titled “Stop Shell, Reparations for the Niger Delta.  The event centered on holding Shell accountable for decades of environmental devastation and degradation in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, dating back to…

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Ikarama Community Confront Legacy of Oil Pollution

On September 3, 2024, We the People held a townhall meeting in Ikarama community, Bayelsa State, following the release of the second episode of its podcast documenting the devastating impact of oil extraction in the community and the culpability of Shell and Agip-Eni, the operating oil companies. The gathering included community chiefs and a wide cross-section…

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SHELL LIES: Corporate Falsehood and Disinformation

How credible is the claim that Shell and other oil companies are divesting because Niger Delta locals are pressuring them for handouts and destroying their equipment? In this episode of our radio documentary, we chat with experts about the myriad controversies surrounding Shell's planned divestment and how the firm is spinning a disinformation campaign to avoid…

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Living with Oil

‘Living with Oil’ examines the true cost of oil extraction in the Niger Delta and makes a case for accountability from multinational oil companies. Play video

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We the People Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Strengthening and Protecting the Civic Space and Civil Society Operational Environment in the Niger Delta

In the last 2 decades, Nigeria has witnessed an alarming rise in state backed attempts to stifle the civic space, regulate and restrict civil society organizations, criminalize democratic dissent and suffocate freedom of assembly and expression. At the federal level, there have been at least eight legislative attempts to stifle the civic space and restrict the…

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Townhall Meeting: Legacy of Big Oil in the Niger Delta

On July 23, 2024, We the People held a townhall meeting in Otuabagi community, Bayelsa State, following the release of a podcast documenting the devastating impact of oil extraction in the region and the culpability of Shell, the operating oil company. The event brought together a diverse group of community members, including community chiefs, executive committee…

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We the People and HOMEF Train Communities on Environmental Monitoring and Eco Defending

On July 18, 2024, We the People and the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) held a one-day training for activists and environmental Monitors in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.  The meeting with the theme  ‘From Monitoring to Resistance Eco-Defending as a Resistanace Movement’ aimed to equip civil society, media, and community members with skills to critically…

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We the People’s Policy Roundtable Proposes Strategies for Forest Protection

Concerned with the continued loss of forest in Cross River state, We the People on the 6 th of June, 2024, a organized a roundtable with environment and conservation stakeholders focused on developing strategies and partnerships for forest protection in the State. The meeting drew participation from government ministries and agencies including the state Forestry Commission…

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World Environment Day: We the People Advocates Pollution and Ecosystem Restoration in the Niger Delta

In Nigeria, particularly in the ecologically sensitive Niger Delta, the threat to ecosystems is substantial and alarming. The region faces significant challenges from environmental degradation due to oil exploitation, deforestation, and land mismanagement which is significantly affecting the livelihoods and survival of local communities. As climate change intensifies, it reinforces ecological challenges communities undergo, posing a…

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We the People and Partners Petition Shell’s AGM on Pollution

I’m here today with a message from We the People in the Niger DeltaOn account of your fossil fuel pollution in the Niger Delta in Nigeria, the life expectancy there is currently only between 41 and 46 years. That’s younger than most of the people in this room today. How can you be comfortable profiting from…

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Ogoni Oil in the Eye of the Storm

Press Release  In 1993, Shell was forced out of Ogoniland where it had extracted crude oil non-stop for decades with unbelievable ecological consequences. The Ogoni people, mobilized under the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), had issued a set of demands in the Ogoni Bill of Rights in 1990 which included calls to the…

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We the People holds Legal Roundtable on Addressing Oil Company Divestment and Environmental Remediation in the Niger Delta

On 29 th April, 2024, We the People convened a legal roundtable on the pressing issues of oil company divestment and environmental remediation in the Niger Delta. The roundtable gathered legal scholars, environmental advocates, community representatives, and policy makers to engage in a comprehensive discussion on the legal pathways for ensuring accountability and justice in the…

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2024 WE THE PEOPLE’S RIGHTS ACADEMY (CALL FOR APPLICATIONS)

Human and nature rights are essential components of a sustainable future and require proper recognition, protection, and promotion. As we strive to build a better world, it is crucial that we understand the interdependence between human rights and the rights of nature. The Rights Academy is committed to fostering an understanding of this underlying relationship among…

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Don’t Let Shell, ExxonMobil, Eni-Agip, Chevron & Total Leave Without Cleaning Up the Niger Delta.

International oil companies Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Eni-Agip and Total Energies have identified buyers to take over their onshore oil operations in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. These companies are walking away after nearly 7 decades of reckless oil extraction that has generated hundreds of billions of dollars for their shareholders, but has left the indigenous…

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Petroleum Industry Act, Section 257 Factsheet

The Petroleum Industry Act was passed in 2021, following more than two decades of legislative efforts to modernise Nigeria's petroleum sector legislation. A significant element of the PIA focuses on community participation and benefit sharing within the sector.While the Act provides that 3% of oil companies' operational costs will be spent on community development, other provisions…

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Town Hall Meeting to Mark International Day of Forests, Launch Mangrove Restoration Project

As part of our efforts to celebrate the International Day of Forests, We the People organised a town hall meeting on March 21, 2024, in the Idundu community of Cross River state. The main objective of the meeting was to raise awareness about the importance of mangroves and emphasise the need to protect this vital ecosystem…

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Divestment Explainer Video

After nearly 70 years of oil and gas extraction in Nigeria’s 'Niger Delta and hundreds of billions of dollars in profits, why are multi-national oil companies suddenly losing their appetite in the Niger Delta? This short explainer video tells the true story. Play Video

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Holding Oil Companies and their Partners Accountable: We the People Takes Campaign to Communities

As oil companies in Nigeria's Niger Delta divest from onshore assets and expand their deep sea extraction activities, We the People has launched a series of community engagement forums with the goal of holding the companies accountable and demanding that they clean up the mess they have created in the region. The engagements also seek responsibility…

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We the People Webinar Examines Harms of Oil Company Divestments and Insurance for Fossil Projects

As part of a bigger movement to hold oil giants accountable for their environmental atrocities, We the People On February 27, 2024, held a webinar on the theme "Examining Oil Company Divestment and Insurance for Fossil Extraction in Nigeria: Ecological and Human Rights Concerns". The webinar sought to investigate the true motivations behind oil firms' hasty divestment decisions…

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Shell Must Address Ecological, Health, Economic and Social Impacts Concerns in the Niger Delta Before Selling Assets

Media Statement On the 16 th of January 2023, Shell announced on its website and social media platform X that it had reached an agreement to sell its Nigerian onshore subsidiary SPDC to a consortium of domestic and international oil companies for a total net fee of $2.8 billion. However, the finalization of the transaction is dependent…

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We the People Sues National Assembly, Attorney General of the Federation on S.257 of the Petroleum Industry Act

While the Petroleum Industry Act passed in 2021, contains key provisions aimed at addressing long standing development challenges in oil producing communities in Nigeria, several provisions on the other hand have the potential to cause disaffection and conflict between oil firms and host communities. For the example, provisions for the establishment and management of the Host…

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We the People holds Webinar to Commemorate 3rd Anniversary of the #EndSARS Protests, Reflect on Police Accountability for Atrocities

On the 20th of October, 2023, We the People held a webinar with the title, “The Revolution Next Time: Police Reforms and Accountability for Atrocities Since the #EndSARS Protests”. The virtual conference aimed at examining the level of reforms that have taken place since the nationwide protests that took place in 2020. The #EndSARS protests was…

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We the People Trains Extractive Communities in the Niger Delta on Strategic Advocacy

On the 25th-27th July, 2023 We the People organized a learning and exchange workshop for forest, oil, gas and solid mineral extractive communities in the Niger Delta. Recent research and advocacy engagements by the organization has unraveled similarities in the economic and social patterns of extractives activities in various communities in the Niger Delta, irrespective of…

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ILLEGAL MINING ACTIVITIES IN CROSS RIVER NATIONAL PARK OBAN SECTOR FOREST: A DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE CESSATION.

Text of Press Briefing 4 th September, 2023.   Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media, you are welcome to this Press Briefing organized by We the People and Development Concern (DEVCON). We have recently become aware that the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has granted mining rights to 2 companies;  Abdulrasaq & Co…

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Oil Producing Communities, Experts and CSOs Worry Over Contentious Provision in PIA at WTP’s Webinar.

  On the 1st of September, 2023, We the People hosted a webinar with communities, experts and CSOs to dissect the Petroleum Industry Act; an Act often hailed as a model for driving benefits to oil producing communities. The Nigeria Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) was enacted in August 2021 with the objective of creating a more…

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Stakeholder Consultative Meeting Calls for Immediate Action to End Deforestation and Protect Wildlife

Communique Issued at the End of a Virtual Consultative Meeting with Stakeholders on the Deforestation in Cross River State, with the Theme ‘Framing Strategies for Ending Deforestation and Protecting Wildlife in the Cross River State Forest’ on the 21st of July, 2023. The meeting was organized as a space for civil society actors and other traditional…

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We the People, Niger Delta Communities Set Agenda for Government on Climate Change Induced Flooding

Communities in the Niger Delta have been faced with annual climate change induced floodssince 2012. The floods have led to the loss of lives, displacement of residents, destruction ofhomes, and disruption of livelihoods. Unfortunately, governments at the national and subnational levels have not been responsive in developing effective adaptation and mitigationstrategies to reduce adverse impacts occasioned…

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We the People’s Webinar Highlights Urgent Need for Environmental Accountability in Oil Industry Divestment in Nigeria

In a thought-provoking webinar organized by We the People and held on the 8th of June 2023, renowned experts and activists shed light on the need for accountability in the moves by oil companies in Nigeria to divest their onshore and shallow water assets. At the webinar titled ‘DIRTY EXIT: EXAMINING THE DOWNSIDE OF OIL COMPANY…

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People’s Tribunal Demands Reparations and Justice for Oil Impacted Communities in Africa

On the 13 th of May, 2023, oil impacted communities across Africa and thousands of climate justice activists joined the People’s Heath Tribunal to hear testimonies from frontline communities on the negative impacts of extractivism on their health, environment and livelihoods. The event which was organized by a coalition of organizations including We the People, People’s…

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We the People’s Conference on Loss and Damage Highlights Urgency for Climate Action

At a conference on Loss and Damage held on May 9, 2023 and organized by We the People, renowned experts, activists and members of frontline communities discuss critical perspectives on Loss and Damage. The conference shed light on the origins of the Loss and Damage conversation, the ongoing international debate around it, and the urgent need…

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Niger Delta Alternatives Convergence Unveils Socio-Ecological Agenda for the Niger Delta

  Concerned by the state of the Niger Delta region and the several issues that plague it, frontline civil society organizations- Health of Mother Earth Foundation, We the People and OilWatch Africa have held the Niger Delta Alternatives Convergence, a gathering of civil society organisations, socio-cultural and political groups, academics, traditional rulers, and individuals from the…

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Oil Companies are not Divesting, they are Fleeing Accountability and Justice: Press Conference

Oil Companies are not Divesting in Nigeria, they are Fleeing Accountability and Justice Being text of a media briefing by We the People during the presentation of its new report ‘Dirty Exit’ in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. 15th April, 2023. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the media, we welcome you to this media briefing specifically organized…

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We the People Launch Human and Ecological Rights Academy

  Concerned with the deteriorating human and ecological rights situation in Nigeria, We the People has launched a Rights Academy in the Niger Delta city of Calabar to strengthen the capacity of a range of actors to respond to rights abuses. The Academy brings together 17 passionate young people who will be trained for 12 weeks…

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We the People Training Strengthens Capacity and Resilience of Oil-Producing Community Activists

On the 19th - 21st of February 2023, We the People engaged representatives of oil producing and impacted communities in the Niger Delta in a training workshop. The Workshop aimed at strengthening the capacity of oil producing members to engage the Nigeria’s new Petroleum Industry Act, identify the gaps and challenges associated with the hurried divestment…

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Nigeria’s 2023 Elections and the Quest for a Greener Nigeria: A Presidential Town Hall on Climate Change and Environmental Concerns

Concerned with the obvious absence of climate change and environmental issues in the conversations leading up to the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, three frontline environmental organizations in Nigeria- Health of Mother Earth Foundation, We the People, and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa- on the 7th of February 2023, held a Town Hall Meeting for…

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A Bill to Regulate CSOs in Rivers State: We the People Leads Resistance

We the People recently learnt that the Rivers state House of Assembly was considering a Bill mandating Civil Society Organizations in the state to pass through an additional level of registration with the state government. The Bill amongst others, requires CSOs operating in, or that have any dealings in Rivers State, to register with a ‘Registry’…

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We the People Holds Multi-Stakeholder Conference on Deforestation in Cross River state

Concerned with the rising spate of deforestation in Cross River State, southern Nigeria, We the People on the 6th December, 2022 held a Multi-Stakeholder Conference on Deforestation in the state capital Calabar. Recall that in 2008, arising from an environmental summit, the Cross River state government had instituted a ban on all forest activities, specifically targeting…

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Multi-Stakeholder Conference on Oil Company Divestments in the Niger Delta

  In continuation of its campaign to hold oil companies accountable for ecological damage caused by their activities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, We the People on the 23 rd of November 2022, held a Multi-Stakeholder Conference to address the subject of divestment by multinational oil companies. The Conference which held in the city…

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