A coalition of Civil Society Organizations operating in the Niger-Delta region is calling on President Bola Tinubu to halt any further plans for International Oil Companies (IOCs) to divest operations from the region until their demands are met.
The group made this known in Port Harcourt during a protest march to the Government House, displaying placards and registering their displeasure with the IOCs’ actions in the region.
Recall that on Monday, December 16, 2024, HEDA Resource Centre, along with other CSOs, including Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF); Social Action Nigeria; Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre; Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA); League of Queens International Empowerment; Policy Alert; We the People; Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria; Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ); Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED); Accountability Lab; International Peace and Civic Responsibility Centre (IPCRC); Civil Rights Council; Keen and Care Initiative, called on President Bola Tinubu to sustain the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission’s (NUPRC) rejection of Shell’s request to sell its remaining shares in the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to the Renaissance consortium.
Others CSOs include: Healthy Life Development initiative; Gbolekekro Women Empowerment And Development Organization (GWEDO); Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC); Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD); Peace Point Development Foundation; Lekeh Development Foundation; Society for Women and Youths Affairs (SWAYA); Lokiaka Community Development Centre; People’s Advancement Centre; Ogoni Solidarity Forum; Africa Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL).
Other international oil corporations, such as TotalEnergies, are also attempting to sell their stakes in SPDC and other Nigerian onshore oil assets. The group noted that any approval of Shell’s and Total’s requests would weaken regulatory independence, ignore the interests of the Niger Delta communities, jeopardize the environmental and social well-being of the region for generations to come, and undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty.
