The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of Nigeria Limited said it has made progress in addressing recommendations directed to it by the UNEPs report on the devastation of Ogoni land in the Niger Delta region. It clarified, however, that a majority of the UNEP’s recommendations require multi-stakeholder efforts coordinated by the federal government.

Reacting to rising criticisms that parties involved in the devastation which included Shell had done nothing after the report, the company said, “It is important to emphasise that neither the SPDC nor any other stakeholder is in a position to implement the entirety of the UNEP’s recommendations unilaterally.”

As the UNEP report stated, “Treating the problem of environmental contamination within Ogoniland merely as a technical clean-up exercise would ultimately lead to failure. Ensuring long-term sustainability is a much bigger challenge – one that will require coordinated and collaborative action from all stakeholders.”

However the company said it has an activity programme in place focused on delivering improvements in the environmental and community health situation on the ground. It stressed its commitment to work with the government, communities and a number of constructive non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society groups in the Niger Delta to accelerate progress.

Source: Leadership Newspaper