Farmers and civil groups have urged the Federal Government to suspend its $2.5bn livestock deal with JBS.
They demand transparency, impact assessments, and community consultations before new meat factories are built.
Farmers, civil society groups, and community leaders have called on the Federal Government to halt the rollout of its $2.5 billion livestock investment partnership with Brazilian meat giant JBS until proper assessments are carried out.
The concerns were raised on Friday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during a South West regional workshop themed “Implications of Industrial Animal Farming in Nigeria.” Participants insisted that the project must undergo independent environmental and social impact assessments, as well as meaningful consultations with communities, before any work begins.
Last year, the Federal Government signed a letter of intent with JBS S.A, one of the world’s largest meat processors, to expand Nigeria’s livestock industry. President Bola Tinubu witnessed the signing on November 21, 2024, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. According to the government, the deal involves the construction of six new meat processing factories across Nigeria, a move officials say will strengthen food production and create jobs.
JBS Chief Executive Officer Gilberto Tomazoni explained at the signing that the investment aims not only to expand production but also to help reduce food insecurity and drive social and economic development.
Despite these promises, participants at the Abeokuta workshop described the process as lacking transparency. They alleged that the $2.5bn agreement did not follow democratic procedures and warned that communities could be displaced if issues of land use and social impacts are not addressed.
“Our biggest issue with the MoU at this stage is that it’s not democratic, it’s not available in the public space,” said Sulaimon Arigbabu of the HEDA Resources Centre. “They need to make it available and make their process more consultative.”
Former president of the Lagos State Catfish and Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria, Sejiro Oke-Tojinu, added that stakeholders in the farming sector were not adequately involved in the discussions before the agreement was signed.
The workshop was organized by the Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network in partnership with HOMEF, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, HEDA Resource Centre, and World Animal Protection. It brought together civil society groups, farmers, traditional rulers, government representatives, and citizens.
At the end of the meeting, participants issued a communique urging the Federal Government to publish the full Memorandum of Understanding signed with JBS for public scrutiny. They argued that the agreement, being a public document, should be accessible to all Nigerians for transparency and accountability.
