By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
In a legal move aimed at enforcing accountability in Nigeria’s petroleum industry, the Incorporated Trustees of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has taken the Federal Government, several multinational oil firms, and regulatory agencies to court, alleging an illegal transfer of oil mining licences.
Filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos under suit number FHC/L/CS/850/25, HEDA’s legal action contests the divestment of interests in key Oil Mining Lease (OML) assets by Eni Societa Per Azioni, Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, and Oando PLC. The group claims the transaction sidestepped critical legal and environmental safeguards.
Represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kunle Adegoke, HEDA is urging the court to rule on whether the transfer complied with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 and other relevant legislation.
HEDA asserts that the process violates several regulatory instruments, including:
The 2021 Guidelines for Ministerial Consent in Oil and Gas Assignments
The Upstream Petroleum Environmental Regulations (2022)
The Gas Flaring, Venting and Methane Emissions Regulations (2023)
The Upstream Petroleum Environmental Remediation Regulations (2024)
The defendants in the suit include:
The Federal Republic of Nigeria
The Attorney General of the Federation
Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited
Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC)
Ministry of Petroleum Resources
HEDA is requesting a judicial declaration that the licence transfer is unlawful, null, and void. It is also seeking a perpetual injunction to prevent any recognition or enforcement of the transaction, including revocation of any ministerial consent already issued.
“This case is not just about an oil deal. It’s a fight for regulatory integrity and environmental justice,” said HEDA Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju. “We must not allow corporate interests to override laws designed to protect our nation, its people, and its resources.”
HEDA views the case as a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act and a benchmark for environmental accountability in the country’s extractive industries.
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