Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) has issued a warning against sabotage and crude oil theft as three host communities in Delta State—Ogulagha, Iduwini Delta, and Iwereland—inaugurated their development trusts in Warri.

The Petroleum Industry Act, which became law in 2021, established Trusts as the primary platform for the development of host communities, providing legal backing to attract and allocate resources for community development.

At the unveiling ceremony of the Delta host communities’ development trusts, Mr. Osagie Okunbor, the Managing Director of Shell and Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, emphasized the importance of smooth operations to fully benefit from the new dispensation.

He expressed satisfaction with the progress made in the Niger Delta region, as similar ceremonies were previously held in Rivers and Bayelsa States.

Okunbor noted that the development initiatives would extend to Imo State, where the SPDC Joint Venture plans to incorporate a total of 22 trusts in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act.

He highlighted the Act’s aim to foster amicable resolutions of grievances and encouraged communities to avoid internal conflicts that could hinder the establishment or operations of the trusts, as it would ultimately harm their own progress.