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Shell In Nigeria

Executive Summary: Royal Dutch Shell in Nigeria
Position: Shell should take responsibility and pull out of Nigeria
Team: Sam Allan, Sam Bell, Darren Davies, Sean Prummel, Eelco Westerveld

In looking at the facts presented in the case study as well as further research on certain topics, our team firmly believes that Royal Dutch Shell is responsible and should be held accountable for a substantial amount of the political, economic, and civil unrest in Nigeria. Specifically, Shell is infringing on human rights, supporting a corrupt government system while contributing little to the communities they are taking from, and providing no action for all the promises they are making in terms of social responsibility.
The public’s perception of Shell is unfavorable, and deservedly so. Its presence in Nigeria is causing numerous up rises and local upsets. Shell is making billions of dollars per year in profits, and yet Nigeria is still one of the poorest countries in the world. The vast majority of the local people are living in poverty, with poor health care, diseases, and no access to clean water. Shell is also creating a negative impact on the environment of the rich Niger Delta, with numerous oil spills, and gas flares. Shell is also accused of supporting the corrupt Nigerian government in the events of Ken Saro-Wiwa’s death, as well as the non-transparency in terms of where royalties, fees, and other payments often in ‘cash’ payments are going. Shell has a strong influence on the government as it provides 80% of the government’s revenues; however this influence is not being used to help the citizens of Nigeria.
The negative local and international attention has sparked interest in the media, as well as in protest groups and nongovernmental organizations. Pressure from these various groups has pushed Shell into stating various claims such as its support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and its efforts to reconcile with the betrayed people of...