Shell’s Greenwashing by Proxy in Nigeria: Corporate Narratives and Media Representation

This article examines how Nigerian newspapers frame Shell’s sustainability claims and asks whether that framing enables or challenges greenwashing by proxy: a pattern in which a corporation’s environmental claims gain the credibility of independent journalism through a news outlet’s editorial choices rather than paid advertising. Using critical discourse analysis, I analyze 96 news reports, investigations, and opinion columns published between 2020 and 2024 in five Nigerian dailies, Premium Times, The Guardian Nigeria, ThisDay, Vanguard, and Punch, selected for addressing Shell’s environmental or sustainability claims. I identify three recurring mechanisms: uncritical reproduction of corporate press releases, reliance on corporate and government sources with little independent verification, and framing that foregrounds favorable claims while omitting the contrary environmental record. These mechanisms are more pronounced in ThisDay, Vanguard, and Punch, while Premium Times and The Guardian Nigeria more often contextualize or contest Shell’s claims.