Geographers attack Shell attacked over Nigeria
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.NICHOLAS SCHOON
Environment Correspondent
Angry lecturers will tomorrow seek to dump Shell as a corporate patron of the Royal Geographical Society in protest at the oil giant's behaviour in Nigeria.
The 161-year-old society's annual conference, which began in Glasgow yesterday, will end on Friday with an open meeting at which the execution of the Ogoni activist Ken Saro-Wiwa by the Nigerian government will be condemned.
But Fellows of the Society will also vote on a motion calling on it immediately to end Shell's corporate sponsorship, which goes back nine years.
The oil company has been producing oil in Ogoniland and other parts of the Niger delta for more than 30 years. It has been accused of causing severe environmental damage, failing to fulfil its moral obligations to the local tribespeople and being too close to Nigeria's military regime.
Shell is one of four corporate patrons who each pay about pounds 40,000 a year to the 13,000-member society, the largest of its kind in Europe. This and other sponsorship accounts for a tenth of income.
The motion's proposer is David Gilbert, a geography lecturer at Royal Holloway College, London. He says many conference delegates feel "alarm, horror and anger" at November's executions of Mr Saro-Wiwa and eight other people.
"I believe that Shell's environmental and political record in Nigeria makes that company unfit to be the patron of any society claiming to represent practising geographers," he wrote in a statement for fellows.
However, even if the motion is passed it will not compel the society's council - its supreme governing body - to end Shell's patronage. It will only have advisory status.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments