The Incorporated Trustees of Human Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has dragged Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited, Renaissance African Energy Company Limited, and several Nigerian authorities before a Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged unlawful transfer of an oil exploration licence.

The suit, which also involves the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and other stakeholders, questions the legality and transparency of the transaction.

HEDA alleged that the divestment of Shell’s oil exploration licence to Renaissance African Energy may have violated the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of 2021 and other related regulations.

The organization raises concerns that the process failed to meet mandatory legal requirements, including conducting an Environmental Evaluation Study, as stipulated in the Upstream Petroleum Environmental Regulation of 2022.

he plaintiff warns that allowing the deal to proceed without proper regulatory compliance could set a dangerous precedent, risking both environmental sustainability and the wellbeing of Niger Delta communities.

HEDA further argued that the defendants’ failure to adhere to key legal provisions makes the transfer unlawful and undermines Nigeria’s national and public interests.

The organization is consequently asking the court to declare the licence transfer invalid, claiming it contradicts several provisions of the PIA and associated regulations.

The organization is also seeking a court’s declaration that the consent granted for the licence transfer is null and void.