Nigeria's maritime agency has reported yet another oil spill has occurred in Nigeria's delta region after a pipeline ruptured at the Shell loading terminal in December.
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency indicated the spill reached the shoreline and began working with the Shell Petroleum Development Company to assess the damage for cleanup and other further action.
What's happening?
This is not the first instance of Shell spilling oil in Nigeria.
Shell began shipping oil from Nigeria in 1958. While there is no concrete data on how many oil spills have occurred in Nigeria, researchers believe "an estimated 13 million barrels (1.5 million tons) of crude oil have been spilled since 1958 from over 7,000 oil spill incidents."
Shell has indicated its interest in selling the land it was using to source oil in Nigeria. Local environmental activists are demanding accountability, and local residents want their land and water cleaned up before a sale happens.
"It would be unconscionable for Shell to pack up its onshore operations in Nigeria without cleaning up its mess and paying compensation," said Steve Bilko, a lawyer for some of the oil victims, per Climate Home News.
Why are these oil spills concerning?
Oil spills can be extremely hazardous to human health and even impact generations. According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, oil spills contaminate surface water, groundwater, ambient air, and crops. They cause carcinogens and radioactive materials to bioaccumulate in the local food supply, contributing to a 24% increase in childhood malnutrition.
Spills can also cause a 45% increase in radiation present in the environment. This poses a dangerous risk of exposure to carcinogens, which can cause infertility and cancer. Life expectancy in the Niger Delta is 41 years, roughly 20 years lower than the Nigerian national average.
"We bought the land in 2023; we have not harvested anything from the farmland; both the profit, our interest, everything is gone," said Timipre Bridget, a farmer in the community, according to the Associated Press. "No way to survive with our children again."
What's being done about these oil spills?
The AP reported that United Nations officials are extremely concerned with the handling of oil damage cleanup in Nigeria, dubbing it a "total failure." They alleged corruption in the cleanup efforts and reportedly pulled out of collaborating with them in 2023.
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency works to ensure oil companies are complying with government regulations and acts as a liaison to local and state communities. NOSDRA monitors oil spills and their cleanups and gathers data reported by citizens about the spills.
Local activists and human rights organizations have been working to hold companies such as Shell accountable for polluting Nigerian land and water.
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