Shell Oil and the Exploitation of Nigeria Essays - 2221 Words

Shell Oil and the Exploitation of Nigeria nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Nigeria has been a country in political turmoil for a long time. The country was created in 1914 under British colonial rule and at that time it was considered a protectorate. It was not until 1960 that Nigeria received independence from the United Kingdom. One of Nigerias problems politically is that it has over three hundred different ethnic groups. The three largest of these are the Hausa-Fulani, Igbo, and Yoruba. At the time of the independence of Nigeria it was split up into three states with each state being under the control of one of the major ethnic groups. The natural resources of the other 297 ethnic groups were exploited for the major three groups,†¦show more content†¦He wrote a Bill of Rights calling for protection of the environment in the Ogoni region and basic rights for the Ogoni people. His Bill of Rights was completely ignored by the government. He went on to do peaceful demonstrations against Shells oil plants where special polic e forces came in and killed and injured many Ogoni people. In May 1995 Ken Sao-Wiwa and his close MOSOP associates were accused of the murders of four Ogoni chiefs. Their trial was closed to the public Ken Saro-Wiwas legal defense resigned saying that the trial was not impartial or independent and no matter what they would all be found guilty. Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight of his close associates were all hanged. Shell has since spent millions trying to repair the damage they inadvertently caused in Nigeria and the worlds major powers have taken small actions against Nigeria. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Violation of Human Rights, destruction of the environment, and denial of freedom of speech and congregation are the ethical issues raised in this case. The Human Rights violations are many. The Nigerian special police force raped, tortured, and murdered hundreds who spoke out against the tyrannical government. All together they killed 2,000 Ogoni, razed 27 villages and displaced over 80,000 people who fled into the bush as refugees. The oil spills by the Shell Company, the lying of the pipeline across farmlands, andShow MoreRelatedNigerian Development : The Face Of Oil Extraction And How Mncs Such As Shell Essay1593 Words   |  7 Pagesarchetypal example of an oil state and primary exporting country, Nigeria is the largest oil exporter in Africa and the world’s tenth largest oil producer (Pyagbara 2007: 1). As of 2010, crude oil and petroleum gas accounted for approximately 80% of the country’s overall exports, totaling over $50.3 billion in r evenues the next year (Pyagbara 2007: 2). Despite maintaining a lucrative resource that could arguably catalyze momentum towards economic development, poverty plagues Nigeria and continues to riseRead MoreThe Help of Shell in the Niger Delta Region Essay1084 Words   |  5 PagesThe Help of Shell in the Niger Delta Region TABLE OF CONTENTâ€Æ' Introduction Shell is a group of oil and petrol companies. The parent company is Royal Dutch Shell, based in Britain, is a multinational corporation (MNC). The group of companies is active in countries all over the world, including Nigeria. The Federal Republic of Nigeria is extremely rich in oil resources. Rightly so, their business-connection goes back over fifty years. Likewise, a Shell company, the Shell Petroleum DevelopmentRead MoreThe Niger Delta And The Oil Companies1576 Words   |  7 PagesThe Niger Delta is a region of Nigeria that is very rich in crude oil and gas. Crude oil and gas make up 70% of the country s revenue and 95% of it s export earnings (Ezekoli, 5608). Those percentages are incredibly high and represents large amounts of money that can be found in the region. However, the people of the Niger Delta never see the wealth that comes from their natural resources. The wealth instead goes to the oil companies set up in the area as well as the pockets of a few elite governmen tRead More Blood, Sweat, Tears and Oil: The mistreatment of the Ogoni People by Royal Dutch Shell4806 Words   |  20 Pagesand Oil: The mistreatment of the Ogoni People by Royal Dutch Shell and the Nigerian Government Introduction Nigeria, located in West Africa, is a densely populated nation of over 100 million people. Since the nation’s independence from Britain in 1960, the country has been in the hands of various leaders ranging from religious to staunchly militant. Nigeria is the sixth largest producer of crude oil in the world and it has one of the largest deposits of natural gas (Wiwa, 2001). Oil accountsRead MoreThe Conflict Of The Niger Delta1743 Words   |  7 PagesINTRODUCTION TO THE CONFLICT IN THE NIGER DELTA Nigeria is the 7th world largest oil producer and is a major player in the world energy market. Oil and gas is Nigeria’s main source of revenue. It accounts for about 40% of the Gross Domestic Product and 70% of government revenues (Lawal 2004). Crude oil was first discovered in 1956 by Shell British Petroleum in a small village called Oloibiri present day Bayelsa State. Two years later oil in larger quantities was discovered in Ogoni. The Niger deltaRead MoreThe Effects of Globalization on Nigeria2317 Words   |  10 Pagesglobalization on one of the richest countries in resources in Africa – Nigeria. I want to explore in particular the negative and positive effects that oil prospecting has had in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, economically, socially and environmentally. I also wish to analyze the extent to which the Nigerian government is responsible for the region’s lack of economic prosperity. My hypothesis is that the involvement of foreign companies in oil extraction has had a mostly negative impact on the region andRead MoreSocial Responsibility For The Welfare Of Society Essay2190 Words   |  9 Pagescompelled to construct a base for a close alliance and discussion with the community, as well as assist the community in capacity building in all aspects of social and economic development . In Nigeria for instance, Shell Petroleum is the only oil company that is a member of the WBCSD and as such, the activities of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) ought to be situated within sustainable development and corporate social responsibility in the Niger Delta where it is located. The Organization forRead MoreShell Petroleum Discovery Of Nigeria Essay1479 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction In 1956, Shell Petroleum discovered oil in commercial quantity in Nigeria. Within a decade, oil exploration speedily replaced agriculture as the mainstay of the country’s economy. In 2006, roughly 97 percent of exchange revenue and about 80 percent of all government expenditures came from petroleum proceeds . The Niger Delta region is located at the southernmost part of Nigeria and comprises of nine states; Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Rivers State, Abia, Imo andRead MoreMultinational Companies and Their Social Responsibilities (Α Case Study of Shell, Nigeria)15078 Words   |  61 PagesCHAPTER TWO 2.0 AN OVERVIEW OF SHELL DEVELOPMENT COMPANY IN NIGERIA 2.1 Introduction This chapter will provide basic knowledge of Shell Nigeria Oil Company and its operation in Nigeria, in particular regarding its ethics, performance, social involvement, contribution to national income and its contribution to keeping the environment green. Since the Rio Conference of 1992 the code of conduct for all extractive industries including crude oil mining companies has underlined the following principlesRead MoreThe Petroleum Revenue And Economic Growth Essay1610 Words   |  7 Pages The Petroleum Revenue and Economic Growth in Nigeria. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The Petroleum industry in Nigeria is the largest source of government revenue and it occupies a pivotal position in term of foreign exchange earnings with about 90 percent and over 80 percent contribution to the Gross domestic product. Petroleum sector is the mainstay of Nigerian economy since its discovery in commercial quantity in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State Nigeria in 1956. From 1970 to 2009, the income from petroleum