A coalition of civil society organisations has urged the Federal Government to suspend the proposed $2.5 billion industrial livestock investment by a Brazilian meat company, JBS, pending disclosure of project documents and independent environmental assessments.
The demand was made yesterday during a sensitisation rally in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, where the coalition warned that the project could have far-reaching implications for food security, environmental sustainability, public health and smallholder farmers.
The proposed investment, according to the coalition, involves establishment of six industrial livestock facilities across the country, in whose respect the Federal Government has reportedly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the company, while some state governments have indicated interest in hosting components of the project.
Project Manager, Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network, Olawuyi Seyi, said the government must make public the terms of the proposed investment before proceeding with implementation.
He expressed concern about the project’s potential land requirements, citing reports that Niger State had pledged about 1.2 million hectares for livestock investment.
Olawuyi urged the Federal Government and participating state governments to publish the MoU, land allocation agreements, investment incentives and other relevant documents for public scrutiny.
Executive Director of Whole Planet Initiative, Margret Adekola, said affected communities and stakeholders must be consulted before final decisions were taken, stressing that transparency and meaningful public participation should not be optional.
She disclosed that the coalition had submitted Freedom of Information requests to relevant federal institutions and state governments for documents relating to the investment, but was yet to receive substantive responses.
The coalition further raised concerns that a significant proportion of the project’s output might be intended for export, questioning its contribution to Nigeria’s domestic food and nutritional needs, while clarifying that it was not opposed to agricultural investments, but insisted such projects must be transparent, environmentally responsible and aligned with the country’s long-term food security priorities.