The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) Resource Centre has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government and several multinational oil companies, challenging the legality of a major oil asset divestment.
The case, filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos and marked FHC/L/CS/850/25, was instituted on behalf of HEDA by human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kunle Adegoke.
HEDA is questioning whether the transfer of interests in Oil Mining Lease assets by multinational companies Eni Societa Per Azioni, Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, and Oando PLC complies with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and other regulatory frameworks.
The group alleges that the divestment violates several statutory instruments, including the Guidelines for Obtaining Minister’s Consent to Assignment of Interest in Oil and Gas Assets (2021), the Upstream Petroleum Environmental Regulations (2022), the Gas Flaring, Venting and Methane Emissions Regulations (2023), and the Upstream Petroleum Environmental Remediation Regulations (2024).
Listed as defendants in the suit are: the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
HEDA is seeking a court declaration that the transaction is unlawful, invalid, and of no legal effect, citing a failure to comply with proper legal and environmental due process.
The group is also asking for a perpetual injunction to bar the recognition or approval of the deal, as well as an order nullifying any ministerial consent already granted.
In a statement on Sunday, HEDA Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, described the legal action as a vital effort to uphold regulatory integrity and environmental justice in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
‘This suit is about more than just a corporate deal’, Suraju said. ‘It’s about the integrity of our regulatory systems and the future of environmental governance in Nigeria. We cannot continue to allow powerful interests to bypass laws meant to protect citizens, the environment, and the economy’
He added that the case serves as a litmus test of the Federal Government’s commitment to enforcing the Petroleum Industry Act and holding powerful actors accountable.
HEDA said it hopes to set a precedent that all oil licence transfers and divestments must strictly adhere to Nigerian laws, especially as calls for environmental sustainability and responsible governance grow louder.
