Paddy Hughes is no stranger to danger. Fast jet flying, ski racing, canoe expeditions and other adventures have taken him close to the edge at times. Filming, too. It must be unprecedented for a national television channel to run a series of four half hour documentaries, one repeated - so five in all - attacking an international company so publicly and without the right of reply for the conduct of its operations in the Niger Delta. Shell International and its Nigerian arm, NPDC, were quite literally ‘shell-shocked’ by the ferocity of the assault and the subsequent hostile follow-up press campaign. Indeed, Shell’s other two thousand companies worldwide were beginning to believe that NPDC was a ‘maverick company’ within their midst. The films were made by a small production company whose details and background were very difficult to trace. In the end, it appeared to be a one/two man band who operated undercover with their own ‘special agenda’.

All African crew with Paddy

As Paddy had worked with the famous Shell Film Unit on some of their big productions in the North Sea and elsewhere, he was asked to consider making a film about all the issues involved in extracting oil from the Niger Delta. He didn’t want to make a ‘company film’ but rather an independent production based on extensive research beforehand both in UK and Nigeria. In other words, he wanted to have a free hand in order to be ‘even handed’. So it was agreed that he would ‘front’ the programme as presenter to introduce each issue or point of contention. He could also travel wherever his investigations took him and be critical of Shell wherever wrongful activities or procedures were uncovered.

Barefoot in the mangrove swamps

It resulted in many months of work interviewing Government Ministers, top academics, tribal chiefs, environmental and social experts, international business and petrochemical analysts, rebel activists, church and mission aid workers and numerous other experts and parties to the issues. It also involved some very difficult and sensitive location filming. Paddy was tracked down and followed. He was impeded and insulted. And, on two occasions, came close to being shot..

Nonetheless, he produced a fascinating 67 minute documentary, ‘The Niger Delta - a Question of Balance’ which was described by a prominent Lagos citizen as "a film 120 million Nigerians should see." Unfortunately just afterwards Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni activists were executed by the military government and it was felt that several of the participating interviewees would be put at risk if the film was circulated in Nigeria. However, it was shown to Shell’s companies worldwide to allay their fears as well as to senior members of the British Government to put the record straight Shortly afterwards Paddy visited Nigeria a second time to make another half hour documentary about the environmental issues. It was called ‘The Heartbeat of Nigeria’ and was remarkable for the helicopter footage, almost all of it hand held, a great tribute to the skill and strength of the British-trained Nigerian cameraman. Again Paddy was obstructed and harried. It wasn’t a comfortable time.

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