Nigerian court dismisses lawsuit seeking to halt Shell's divestment

A Nigerian court Friday dismissed a lawsuit by a traditional monarch in the oil-rich delta region seeking to halt Shell's plan to offload its onshore assets over accusations of decades of environmental pollution.

More than 40 years of extensive oil spills and gas flaring had caused severe environmental damage that destroyed fishing and farming livelihoods in parts of the Niger delta region, which accounts for most of Nigeria's oil production.

Bubaraye Dakolo, the monarch of Ekpetiama kingdom in southern Bayelsa state, had taken the British energy giant to court after it announced conclusion of the sale of its Nigerian onshore assets in March 2025.