Reuters: ‘Leaked’ Report says Shell actions feed Nigeria violence
Sun 13 June, 2004 04:35
By Dino Mahtani
LAGOS (Reuters) – The corporate behaviour of Royal Dutch/Shell in Nigeria feeds a vicious cycle of violence and corruption, contributing to the theft of its crude oil, according to a leaked report funded by the oil giant.
And increasing criminalisation of the poverty-stricken Niger Delta could force Shell out of onshore production in Africa’s largest oil producer by 2008, the report by consultants WAC Global Services said.
Shell executives acknowledged the company had inadvertently fed the violence, saying it was difficult to operate ethically in the Niger Delta and that its attempts at community development “had been less than perfect”.