Shell in Nigeria: 10 years on1 December 2005
Ken Saro-Wiwa was the leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP).
He was executed, along with 8 colleagues, by the Nigerian state, for campaigning against the oil industry's devastation of the Niger Delta.
I'll tell you this, I may be dead but my ideas will not die.
Ken Saro-Wiwa, 1995
10 November 2005 marked the tenth anniversary of his execution, yet Shell's operations continue to harm local communities and the environment in Nigeria.
Shell fails to maintain its oil pipes and still uses outdated practices like gas flaring that pollute the environment and harm communities.
Woman working near a gas flare in the Niger Delta
Friends of the Earth, a member of the Remember Saro-Wiwa coalition, marked the anniversary by taking part in a seminar on the Niger Delta.
The seminar, organised by Platform, and hosted by Baroness Lola Young, included speeches from Ken Wiwa and Tony Juniper.
Ken Wiwa spoke about his father's legacy and how there has yet to be any significant improvement in the situation in Nigeria.
Tony Juniper explained how reforming company law would help prevent environmental and social abuses by UK companies abroad.
Press for change
Shell's behaviour in Nigeria , over the last 10 years, is a clear example of how many companies do not take action to make improvements voluntarily.
Resource
Gas flaring in Nigeria: a human rights, environmental and economic monstrosity
(PDF† - 1.5 MB) Jun 2005
More gas is flared in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world. This report tracks its history, explains its implications, and shows how it violates human rights and damages the environment.
†To view PDF files you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visually impaired users can get extra help with these documents from access.adobe.com.
© Friends of the Earth
