Journalism is in crisis. What is it for? To save you all the theoretical hand-wringing here’s a small, practical example for you from Nigeria, where Shell have been operating for over half a century.

What benefits have accrued to locals from Shell’s operations? Here’s what Shell Nigeria say about their contribution to healthcare in the Niger Delta:

Shell Nigeria’s long history of promoting healthy living in the communities of its areas of operation, dates back to the 1970’s. The programme, which started in the early days with the donation of equipment, drugs and equipped blocks for special services has developed to a level where host communities not only participate in the determination of their health needs, but also increasingly in the management of health projects.

The programme has so far provided 14 Cottage Hospitals, 13 Health Centres, Land and Swamp Mobile Clinics, many Health Posts, as well as supply of equipment and drugs through a revolving scheme. The objective is that host communities participate in managing the health facilities through Management Committees to make the health care delivery system even more sustainable.

In 2003, SPDC-built-and-supported hospitals/health centres, together, treated over 135,000 patients. Some 746,643 children were immunized in the two rounds of 2004 National Immunization Programme. To ensure the widest possible reach, SPDC provided logistics support (boats and vehicles) for the exercise in order to surmount the challenges posed by the difficult Niger Delta terrain.

Impressive stuff. And here’s Soni Daniel (disclaimer: I know Soni) writing in the Nigerian Independent:

[A]s we made our way towards the houses, a group of youths carrying buckets passed us on their way to fetch water from the same muddied river they defecate into…

The sick members of the community always go through the gruelling experience of a three-hour journey by boat to Kolo Creek where the nearest government-run health facility is located.

“Most of our people die even before they can access medical facilities, because of the long distance to the hospital,” laments Samuel Tarinyo, a retired teacher and native court member in Oloibiri, who was in Standard One when Shell came to the area in 1953.

Of course, Shell just pay their taxes to the government. And if Shell weren’t there, there are plenty of other oil companies…