The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), alongside a coalition of leading Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), has called on the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) to immediately ensure full public disclosure of all agreements and documentation relating to the reported deal on OPL 245 involving Shell, Eni, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

In a petition addressed to NEITI’s Executive Secretary, Musa Sarkin Adar, the coalition expressed deep concern over recent reports suggesting that the Federal Government has reached a new agreement on the controversial offshore oil block. While the reports highlight purported economic benefits, the groups noted a glaring lack of critical details on the deal’s structure, fiscal terms, and beneficiaries.

In the petition jointly signed by HEDA, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), BudgIT Foundation, Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA), Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), and Social Action Nigeria, the coalition emphasised that transparency is not optional but a legal and moral obligation, particularly in light of the 2023 Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Standard and NEITI’s statutory mandate to promote accountability in Nigeria’s extractive sector.

“OPL 245 is not just another oil block; it is a symbol of nearly three decades of alleged corruption, abuse of office, and opaque transactions. Any new deal involving the same actors must be subjected to the highest level of public scrutiny,” the statement read.

The organisations warned that failure to disclose the full details of the agreement would erode public trust and raise serious concerns about the integrity of the process. They stressed that claims of transparency by government officials cannot be substantiated without verifiable public access to the underlying agreements.

The coalition raised a series of critical transparency questions that go to the heart of the reported deal. Central among these are concerns about how the OPL 245 block has been divided and which companies now hold rights to its various segments.

Questions were also raised about whether NNPCL has secured back-in rights, what financial commitments the Federal Government has made in that regard, and what Nigeria’s current equity stake in the asset structure entails.

The groups further demanded clarity on whether Shell and Eni made additional payments under the new arrangement, including the specific amounts involved, the terms governing such payments, and whether the funds were properly remitted into the Federation Account as required by law.

In addition, the coalition queried the fiscal framework underpinning the deal, particularly in comparison to the widely criticised 2011 agreement, and sought detailed disclosure of any improvements claimed by government officials.

Concerns were also expressed over the issuance of new licences reportedly carved out of the block, the ownership and operational structure of these licences, and whether due process was followed in their allocation