The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to suspend divestment applications by International Oil Companies (IOCs), including Shell and TotalEnergies, until they fulfill their environmental and social responsibilities to host communities in the Niger Delta.
This resolution was adopted following a motion of urgent public importance moved by the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, during Thursday’s plenary session.
Leading the motion, Chinda referenced multiple independent reports—including those by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission—that document the severe environmental damage caused by oil exploration in the Niger Delta.
He reminded lawmakers that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission recently rejected Shell’s divestment application, citing the company’s failure to address environmental liabilities and concerns regarding the capacity of Renaissance Consortium to manage the acquired assets effectively.
Chinda also highlighted past divestments, such as the sale of assets in Nembe to Aiteo, ExxonMobil’s asset transfers, and ENI/AGIP’s sale to Oando, which left host communities grappling with unresolved pollution, escalating environmental degradation, and heightened social unrest.
Emphasizing the government’s responsibility, Chinda stated, “The Nigerian government has a constitutional duty to protect its citizens, particularly those in the Niger Delta, who have suffered decades of environmental devastation caused by oil extraction.”
He warned that approving Shell’s or TotalEnergies’ divestment requests without addressing existing environmental and social liabilities could undermine Nigeria’s regulatory independence, shift corporate responsibilities to the state, and set a dangerous precedent for environmental neglect.
Lawmakers further cautioned that permitting IOCs to exit without accountability would exacerbate environmental challenges in the region, weaken Nigeria’s regulatory framework, and erode public trust in the government.
