The coalition of Civil Society Organizations, community leaders, and concerned citizens from across Nigeria are calling 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. Other international oil corporations, such as TotalEnergies, are also attempting to sell their stakes in SPDC and other Nigerian onshore oil assets.
We state categorically 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.
Collectively signed by Nnimmo Bassey of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF); Dr. Isaac ‘Asume’ Osuoka – Social Action Nigeria; Olanrewaju Suraju – HEDA Resource Centre; Okon – Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre; Akinbode Oluwafemi- Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA); Idoreyin Bassey- League of Queens International Empowerment; Tijah Bolton-Akpan – Policy Alert; Ken Henshaw – We the People; Rita Uwaka – Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria; David Ugolor – Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ); Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi – Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED) Odey Friday – Accountability Lab; International Peace and Civic Responsibility Centre (IPCRC); Arochukwu Ogbonna – Civil Rights Council and Josesphine Alabi – Keen and Care Initiative.
Others include: Mfon Utin – Healthy Life Development initiative; Comraade Cynthia Buluebiere Bright – Gbolekekro Women Empowerment And Development Organization (GWEDO); Auwal Musa Rafsanjani – Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC); Cookey Tammy Ph.D – Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD); Umo Isua-Ikoh – Peace Point Development Foundation; Friday Nbani – Lekeh Development Foundation; Amanie Stella – Society for Women and Youths Affairs (SWAYA); Martha Agbani, Lokiaka Community Development Centre; Akpobari Celestine – People’s Advancement Centre; Ogoni Solidarity Forum; Dr Chido Onumah- Africa Centre for Media and Information Literacy ( AFRICMIL).