Amnesty Raises Concerns Over Consultants' Independence in Shell's Onshore Assets Sale in Nigeria

Sanusi emphasized the need for full independence of any consultants involved in reviewing Shell’s proposed asset sale to prevent any perceived conflicts of interest.

Reacting to the Nigerian oil regulator’s hiring of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and S&P Global to scrutinize the sale of Shell’s onshore assets in the country, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International Nigeria Director, voiced serious concerns over potential conflicts of interest.

Sanusi emphasized the need for full independence of any consultants involved in reviewing Shell’s proposed asset sale to prevent any perceived conflicts of interest. He highlighted that BCG, already performing various tasks for Shell, and S&P Global, which rates Shell’s debt and creditworthiness while providing other services, pose concerns about their impartiality.

"The decision by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission to hire BCG, which already performs a wide variety of other work for Shell, to help assess this sale is concerning. It is similarly worrying that S&P Global, which also plays a key role in rating Shell’s debt and creditworthiness as well as providing other services to the oil company, is also involved," Sanusi stated.

Given the significant human rights risks associated with Shell’s operations, Sanusi stressed the importance of ensuring that reviews are not only independent but also perceived as such. Shell must be held accountable for the environmental and human rights abuses related to the oil spills from its operations, which have long polluted the environment, contaminated drinking water, and harmed agricultural lands, fisheries, and local communities.

Sanusi expressed skepticism about assurances from the consultancy groups regarding the independence of their reviews. He noted that their existing commercial interests with Shell might lead to a softer approach on necessary remedies for the human rights abuses linked to Shell’s activities.

Additionally, Sanusi underscored the importance of ensuring that potential buyers of Shell’s assets have the financial stability and capability to manage operations safely and effectively to prevent further harm to local communities. He insisted that the sale should not proceed without robust safeguards to protect people's rights.

Amnesty International calls for stringent measures to ensure the independence and thoroughness of the review process to fully address and rectify the human rights issues associated with Shell’s onshore activities in Nigeria.