By NewsDesk
LAGOS — The Incorporated Trustees of HEDA Resource Centre have filed a lawsuit against Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and several key government agencies over the transfer of an oil exploration licence. The suit, marked FHC/L/CS/651/2025, was lodged at the Federal High Court in Lagos by senior lawyer Kunle Adegoke, SAN, on behalf of the plaintiffs.
The case names seven defendants, including the Attorney General of the Federation, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCLtd), Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. At the heart of the dispute is the transfer and divestment of Shell’s oil exploration licence to Renaissance African Energy Company Limited, which HEDA alleges may have violated provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, and related regulations.
HEDA argues that the transaction failed to meet key statutory requirements, including the need to conduct and disclose an Environmental Evaluation Study as mandated by the Upstream Petroleum Environmental Regulation, 2022.
“This transaction threatens public interest and the environment if legal requirements, like the Environmental Evaluation Study, are ignored,” said HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju. “The welfare of Niger Delta communities and sustainable management of petroleum resources must be prioritized to avoid setting a harmful precedent.”
The lawsuit seeks several declaratory and injunctive reliefs, including a court order preventing the defendants from proceeding with, approving, or enforcing the transfer until full compliance with Nigeria’s legal framework is ensured.
Industry stakeholders and environmental advocacy groups are closely monitoring the case, which is expected to be heard in the coming weeks. The outcome could have significant implications for regulatory compliance and environmental oversight in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.