The deal as announced, marked a significant shift for Shell, which has been operational in Nigeria for over 90 years. The company has been active in Nigeria since the 1930s, and has struggled for years with hundreds of oil spills at its onshore operations. Shell have blamed crude oil thieves, sabotage and operational issues as factors costing it dear repairs and high-profile lawsuits. The complex operating environment in Nigeria's onshore fields, coupled with pressure from climate change activism, may have also played a role in Shell's decision to pull out of onshore operations in Nigeria. Deeper truths have also revealed that major oil spills by Shell are traceable to equipment failure, rusty and poorly maintained pipelines.