This report examines the manner, legacy, and likely future consequences of oil company Shell’s exit from its onshore oil operations in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. While this report focuses on Shell as the international oil company (IOC) with the largest onshore presence in the Niger Delta, all the US and European oil majors are divesting from onshore oil production in the region, and many similar issues may apply to them.
The report takes a human rights perspective grounded in legal principles and international standards regarding companies’ responsibilities to respect human rights, to address their adverse impacts, and to conduct human rights due diligence to prevent or mitigate harms their operations may cause or risk causing. It specifically looks at how the business and human rights framework applies to the context of oil industry divestment and the concept of a just energy transition.