The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has granted an application filed by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), compelling the Federal Government to release critical information on gas flaring activities in Nigeria.

In a judgment delivered in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/251/2021, Justice A.O. Faji ruled in favour of HEDA’s request for an order of mandamus, directing the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Minister of Finance to provide detailed data on gas flaring by oil and gas companies between 2015 and 2020.

According to the Certified True Copy of the judgment made available to journalists on Sunday, the court ordered the release of the names of all oil and gas companies involved in gas flaring in Nigeria, the volumes of gas flared by each company, the penalties due from the companies, and the actual penalties paid during the five-year period.

The court upheld HEDA’s argument that public access to such information is fundamental to environmental justice and national accountability.

Despite efforts by the respondents’ legal team to have the suit dismissed, the court held that the application had merit and granted the reliefs sought.

Reacting to the judgment, HEDA Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, described the court’s decision as a major win for environmental rights defenders, anti-corruption advocates, and the Nigerian public.

He stated that the judgment was the result of HEDA’s broader campaign for environmental justice, climate accountability, and transparent governance in Nigeria’s extractive sector.

Suraju explained that the organization filed the suit after repeated Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources—with the President as Minister—and to the Minister of Finance went unanswered.

“This is a precedent-setting judgment. It affirms the power of civic engagement and the relevance of the judiciary in protecting environmental rights. With this ruling, the government is compelled to be transparent about the operations of oil and gas companies and the true environmental cost of their activities,” he said.

He emphasized that HEDA would continue to push for full enforcement of the judgment, advocate for sanctions against defaulting entities, and press for the use of gas flaring penalties for climate adaptation and development initiatives.