Shell faces fresh pressure over Niger Delta pollution as activists storm AGM

Shell came under renewed pressure on Tuesday as campaigners stormed the oil giant’s annual general meeting (AGM) in London, demanding justice for communities in Nigeria’s oil-rich but impoverished Niger Delta—where decades of pollution have devastated livelihoods.

The protest comes months after Shell completed the sale of its onshore oil business in the Niger Delta to Renaissance, a consortium of five Nigerian companies, sparking outrage among rights and environmental groups who insist the company cannot walk away from its toxic legacy.

Outside Shell’s global headquarters in central London, a coalition — including Amnesty International UK, Fossil Free London, and the Justice 4 Nigeria coalition—staged a dramatic protest to coincide with the AGM, held under tight security at a Heathrow hotel. Shell had secured a court injunction to restrict environmental demonstrations at the venue.

Activists poured fake oil over a giant map of the Niger Delta while wearing suits emblazoned with Shell’s flaming logo. Seated demonstrators wore shirts reading “Decades of Oil Spills,” “Polluted Waters,” and “Devastated Communities.” A striking red marker read: “It’s Hell in the Niger Delta.”

“Shell must not be allowed to walk away from its liabilities,” said Peter Frankental, Amnesty International UK’s Business and Human Rights Director. “Communities in the Niger Delta have suffered catastrophic harm—contaminated water, poisoned land, and shattered livelihoods—while Shell continues to make billions in profit.”

Polluted Legacy

Though Shell has exited onshore operations, critics say the company’s legacy of environmental damage remains unresolved. The Niger Delta, one of the most polluted regions in the world, has witnessed thousands of oil spills over the decades, contaminating drinking water, destroying farmland, and deepening poverty.

“Shell still refuses to clean up and pay up after so many years of Niger Delta people highlighting the damage Shell has caused,” said Lazarus Tamana, co-founder of the Justice 4 Nigeria coalition. “They have devastated our water, land, health and livelihoods and we continue to fight for justice.”

In January, more than 13,500 residents of Ogale and Bille communities filed a lawsuit against Shell in the UK High Court, accusing the company of failing to clean up longstanding oil spills. While Shell accepted liability in a 2014 case involving the Bodo community, campaigners say remediation has been slow and inadequate.

On Tuesday, that frustration spilled onto the streets of London.

“Year after year, we’ve hit the front pages or millions of social media views holding Shell to account at their AGM,” said Robin Wells, Director of Fossil Free London. “We are sick not only of the devastation they cause, but of a system that rewards them handsomely for tearing down fragile ecosystems.”

Shell has often claimed that spills are mostly caused by sabotage and theft, and says it has made efforts to clean up impacted areas. But residents and campaigners argue these assertions obscure the company’s failure to take full responsibility or act swiftly.

The company’s sale of onshore assets to Renaissance has raised additional concerns. Though Shell claims that liabilities were passed on to the buyer, experts say under Nigerian, English, and international law, Shell may still be held accountable—particularly if Renaissance lacks the financial capacity to remediate. Shell has reportedly offered a $2.5 billion loan facility to the consortium, but details remain opaque, prompting transparency concerns.

Nigeria’s own regulators had questioned the divestment. In October 2024, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission initially rejected the sale, citing concerns about Renaissance’s technical and financial capacity. That decision was later overturned by the presidency, triggering a lawsuit now before a Nigerian court. Communities argue the deal violates environmental laws and was approved without proper environmental assessment. A hearing is scheduled for May 26.

A major study by the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission—published in 2023—described the region’s plight as an “environmental genocide” and called for urgent remediation. The commission found hydrocarbon contamination in every one of the 1,600 residents it tested. Other research has linked oil pollution to fertility issues, cancer, and collapsed livelihoods in fishing and farming.

Ahead of the AGM, civil society groups called on Shell’s executives to commit to cleanup and compensation, accusing the company of greenwashing. They say the divestment is not a transition to clean energy, but a way to dump liabilities while continuing profitable offshore operations.

“Women are suffering from diseases linked to oil pollution. Shell cannot divest without remediation,” said Dr. Emem Okon, Director of the Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre.

Nick Hildyard of UK-based group The Corner House added: “Why should investors believe the cleanup will happen when even Shell privately admits the buyer might not manage the assets?”

Activists insist that any credible energy transition must include justice for those harmed by fossil fuel extraction. “This is not just about climate—it’s about corporate accountability,” said Ana Xambre Pereira of Both ENDS, a Netherlands-based environmental group.

“Shell cannot simply wash its hands of decades of environmental devastation,” said Amnesty’s Frankental. “The company must clean up its toxic legacy and provide full compensation to those whose lives it has wrecked.”