Shell to sell big piece of its Nigeria oil business, but activists want pollution cleaned up first

By TAIWO ADEBAYO

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Shell has reached an agreement with a consortium of companies to sell its onshore business in Nigeria’s Niger Delta in a deal worth $2.4 billion. It is the latest move by the London-based energy major to limit its presence in the challenging Niger Delta environment, where it has faced decadeslong local pushbacks to its oil exploration. Activists want Shell to address environmental damage, such as compensation for affected communities, as a condition for the government’s approval of the deal. Shell says the deal is designed to preserve its commitments, including remediation where spills occurred in the past.