Thursday, April 10, 2014

Nigeria: Land, Farms and Outside Interests

Two articles regarding land acquisition in Nigeria. One on a very large scale, disenfranchising thousands of local inhabitants; the other small scale - a trial for greater involvement and supposedly as aid (USAID). Both are examples of why it is wise to 'follow the money' or look into the background of the donor if it is so-called aid. 
 
The first is in Edo State: 
Stop corporate land bazaar in Edo State, ERA/FoEN cautions

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has cautioned the Edo State Government from going ahead with plans to allocate 410,000 hectares of forest land belonging to community people to corporations without the consent of locals who depend on the lands for their livelihoods.

Companies that are to benefit from the land largesse include Okomu Oil Palm Plc (a member of the Socfin Group) which was previously allocated 30,000 hectares for oil palm expansion, the Dangote Group which is getting 50,000 hectares for rice production, and United Food Industries Ltd representing Indonesia's Salim Group, got 60,000 hectares.  The Salim Group has track record of conflicts with community people in their various areas of operations especially in Indonesia and some parts of Africa.

In a widely publicized interview, The Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture, Abdul Oroh, disclosed that the state government had acquired 410,000 hectares of land in the state, for investments in agriculture by the private sector.

Oroh also revealed that 300,000 hectares had been set aside for other investors interested in farming activities.

With this development of an estimated 410,000 hectares, only 30,000 will be left for the over 170,000 local farmers in the communities who earn their livelihood from farmlands and forest resources. 



The second is from Ogun State and can be read here

 
The agricultural transformation policy of the Ogun State government will soon get a major boost as the state governor, Ibikunle Amosun launches a 10-hectare cassava pilot farm promoted by Caterina de’ Medici Africa Projects Ltd (CDMA) at Ikenne. 
The pilot farm, which will serve as a prelude to a bigger 4,000 hectares cassava farm to be supported by Thai Farms International Ltd and other investors, is supported by the USAID-Nigeria Expanded Trade and Transport Program (NEXTT) and several local banks. 
Foluke Michael, principal partner of CDMA, said the project will adopt modern farming methods, conduct training for local farmers, supply the farmers with agro-chemical to improve farm yield, and provide other extension services to all its partners. “The partnership with the state will also help to build public infrastructure changes in agricultural policy,” she said. 

The Ogun State government is supporting the programme with a total of 4,000 hectares of land, which it has allocated to CDMA, in the belief that the large population of smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs in the state will benefit directly from the programme. The governor is presently encouraging wide participation of farmers to ensure continuous engagement of youths in the host communities.
 Michael said the programme, tagged “CDMA-NEXTT Initiative (CNI),” will contribute to food security and poverty reduction in Nigeria. The project seeks to generate massive employment, especially of youth in the immediate community, creates wealth though investment facilitation and opportunity for export of farm produce. The initiative will also support regional trade and transportation objectives, by facilitating trade flows and complements agricultural productivity improvement efforts under the United States’ government’s food security initiative Feed-the-Future. 
The US initiative has three programme activities, which NEXTT is implementing on behalf of the USAID. These include improvement along the Lagos – Kano –J ibiya (LAKAJI) agro-investment corridor, and reform of government policy to aid investment and trade.


Stop corporate land bazaar in Edo State, ERA/FoEN cautions

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has cautioned the Edo State Government from going ahead with plans to allocate 410,000 hectares of forest land belonging to community people to corporations without the consent of locals who depend on the lands for their livelihoods.

Companies that are to benefit from the land largesse include Okomu Oil Palm Plc (a member of the Socfin Group) which was previously allocated 30,000 hectares for oil palm expansion, the Dangote Group which is getting 50,000 hectares for rice production, and United Food Industries Ltd representing Indonesia's Salim Group, got 60,000 hectares.  The Salim Group has track record of conflicts with community people in their various areas of operations especially in Indonesia and some parts of Africa.

In a widely publicized interview, The Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture, Abdul Oroh, disclosed that the state government had acquired 410,000 hectares of land in the state, for investments in agriculture by the private sector.

Oroh also revealed that 300,000 hectares had been set aside for other investors interested in farming activities.

With this development of an estimated 410,000 hectares, only 30,000 will be left for the over 170,000 local farmers in the communities who earn their livelihood from farmlands and forest resources. - See more at: http://farmlandgrab.org/post/view/23364#sthash.IFSpHyaG.dpuf
Stop corporate land bazaar in Edo State, ERA/FoEN cautions

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has cautioned the Edo State Government from going ahead with plans to allocate 410,000 hectares of forest land belonging to community people to corporations without the consent of locals who depend on the lands for their livelihoods.

Companies that are to benefit from the land largesse include Okomu Oil Palm Plc (a member of the Socfin Group) which was previously allocated 30,000 hectares for oil palm expansion, the Dangote Group which is getting 50,000 hectares for rice production, and United Food Industries Ltd representing Indonesia's Salim Group, got 60,000 hectares.  The Salim Group has track record of conflicts with community people in their various areas of operations especially in Indonesia and some parts of Africa.

In a widely publicized interview, The Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture, Abdul Oroh, disclosed that the state government had acquired 410,000 hectares of land in the state, for investments in agriculture by the private sector.

Oroh also revealed that 300,000 hectares had been set aside for other investors interested in farming activities.

With this development of an estimated 410,000 hectares, only 30,000 will be left for the over 170,000 local farmers in the communities who earn their livelihood from farmlands and forest resources. - See more at: http://farmlandgrab.org/post/view/23364#sthash.IFSpHyaG.dpuf
 
Stop corporate land bazaar in Edo State, ERA/FoEN cautions

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has cautioned the Edo State Government from going ahead with plans to allocate 410,000 hectares of forest land belonging to community people to corporations without the consent of locals who depend on the lands for their livelihoods.

Companies that are to benefit from the land largesse include Okomu Oil Palm Plc (a member of the Socfin Group) which was previously allocated 30,000 hectares for oil palm expansion, the Dangote Group which is getting 50,000 hectares for rice production, and United Food Industries Ltd representing Indonesia's Salim Group, got 60,000 hectares.  The Salim Group has track record of conflicts with community people in their various areas of operations especially in Indonesia and some parts of Africa.

In a widely publicized interview, The Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture, Abdul Oroh, disclosed that the state government had acquired 410,000 hectares of land in the state, for investments in agriculture by the private sector.

Oroh also revealed that 300,000 hectares had been set aside for other investors interested in farming activities.

With this development of an estimated 410,000 hectares, only 30,000 will be left for the over 170,000 local farmers in the communities who earn their livelihood from farmlands and forest resources. - See more at: http://farmlandgrab.org/post/view/23364#sthash.IFSpHyaG.dpuf

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