The divestment of Shell from parts of its Niger Delta oil business has been condemned as “irresponsible” by rights advocates, who accused the oil giant and the Federal Government of sidelining host communities in a process that transferred assets and liabilities without adequate consultation.

The Executive Director of the African Law Foundation (AfriLaw), an Abuja-based justice and human rights development organisation, Chinwike Okereke made the allegation at the weekend in Port Harcourt during an Extractive Host Communities and Human Rights Defenders Training Workshop.

The workshop, organised by AfriLaw in partnership with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), focused on strengthening the capacity of human rights defenders, journalists, community leaders and civil society organisations to protect communities affected by extractive activities across the Niger Delta.

According to the AfriLaw executive director, responsible divestment requires meaningful consultation with communities that have borne the environmental and social consequences of oil production.

He argued that Shell’s divestment process failed to adequately involve affected communities, describing the situation as a violation of their rights and a failure by the government to protect citizens.

“Divestment is not automatic; it is a process and there is a transfer of liabilities and assets,” he said, stressing that communities should have been given the opportunity to participate and protect their interests.

He also faulted the Federal Government for approving the transaction without ensuring that the welfare and rights of Niger Delta communities were adequately protected.

The AfriLaw chief called on the NHRC and other relevant institutions to initiate a remediation process, insisting that the environmental damage and other legacies of oil operations should not be abandoned after divestment.

He said justice for affected communities must include compensation and remediation of the negative impacts of oil activities.

AfriLaw said the programme is being implemented across the nine Niger Delta states, with further workshops scheduled before October.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of Access Africa for Rights and Development Initiative, Dr David Vareba, warned that Nigeria’s civic space was increasingly shrinking, leaving human rights defenders exposed to pressure from corporate and government actors.

Vareba said human rights defenders often intervene in cases involving oil spills, land grabbing, police brutality and other abuses, but frequently act only after violations have occurred.

He advocated proactive risk assessment, particularly in extractive communities, saying early identification of risks could prevent abuses and improve accountability.

The training introduced participants to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Representing NHRC Executive Secretary Tony Ojukwu, the commission’s Rivers representative, Chinwe Okoroji, said the workshop was designed to equip communities, youth groups, activists, media practitioners and civil society organisations with legal and security tools to defend their rights and seek redress.

She said the initiative would strengthen collaboration among communities, human rights defenders and institutions while promoting the protection of rights in Nigeria’s extractive sector. (Arise News)

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