Farmers, civil society organisations, and community leaders have urged the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of its $2.5bn livestock investment agreement with Brazilian meatpacking giant, JBS.
The stakeholders, who spoke on Friday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at the South West Regional Workshop on the “Implications of Industrial Animal Farming in Nigeria”, insisted that the deal must undergo comprehensive and independent environmental and social impact assessments before execution.
They also demanded mandatory community consultations, particularly with traditional rulers and transparent public scrutiny.
The Federal Government last year signed a letter of intent with the JBS S.A, a top global meat processing company, for investment in Nigeria’s $2.5 billion livestock sector.
JBS is a Brazilian multinational corporation and one of the world’s largest meat producers, specialising in beef, poultry, and pork, with operations in multiple countries.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu witnessed the signing ceremony on November 21, 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The investment which includes construction of six new meat factories in Nigeria, according to the government is aimed at developing the country’s meat processing sector.
The Global Chief Executive Officer of JBS, Gilberto Tomazoni explained that the company’s objective is not just to build new factories, but also to contribute to solving critical challenges such as food insecurity and fostering socioeconomic progress
However, some stakeholders have faulted the investment deal, describing it as undemocratic.
But speaking in Abeokuta, the stakeholders alleged that the $2.5bn JBS investment lacked rigorous oversight mechanisms, proper Environmental Impact Assessments, Social Impact Assessment, community consultation processes, and transparency measures, despite its potential for widespread community displacement.
The workshop, which was organised by the Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network, in collaboration with HOMEF, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, HEDA Resource Centre and World Animal Protection, attracted diverse participants including members of the civil society organisations, farmers, community leaders, government officials, and concerned citizens.
“Our biggest issue with the MoU at this stage is that it’s not democratic, it’s not available in the public space, they need to make it available, make their process more consultative,” Sulaimon Arigbabu, from the HEDA Resources Centre, told Daily Trust at the workshop.
Arigbabu said the concerns needed to be addressed urgently as it might become triggers of conflict in the nearer future.
Sejiro Oke-Tojinu, who is the former President of the Lagos State Catfish and Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria, also insisted that relevant stakeholders were not carried along in the signing of the MoU.
In the communique issued after the workshop, the participants urged the Federal Government “to publish and make publicly accessible the complete Memorandum of Understanding signed with JBS, allowing for proper scrutiny by citizens, civil society, and stakeholders, as this is a public document that belongs in the public domain.”
