Nigeria: Oil clean-up 'scam' warnings ignored by Shell, whistleblower tells BBC
Source: BBC
Oil clean-up 'scam' warnings ignored by Shell, whistleblower tells BBC
12 February 2025
Simi Jolaoso
BBC News, Ogoniland
A BBC investigation has uncovered allegations that energy giant Shell has ignored repeated warnings that a controversial clean-up operation of oil-polluted areas of southern Nigeria has been beset by problems and corruption.
The multinational headquartered in London, along with the Nigerian government, has repeatedly stated that work to clean up oil-contaminated sites of Ogoniland, which kicked off around eight years ago, is going well.
But the BBC has discovered evidence that they were warned repeatedly over several years that the scheme, set up by the government and funded by various oil firms to the tune of $1bn (£805m), has been suffering from a string of issues.
One close observer has described the clean-up project as a "con" and a "scam" that has wasted money and left the people of Ogonliland in the Niger Delta region continuing to live with the devastating impact of oil pollution - 13 years after a ground-breaking UN report lifted the lid on the seriousness of their situation.
Shell told the BBC: "The operating environment in the Niger Delta remains challenging because of the huge scale of illegal activities such as oil theft.
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Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0rqe85q1jno