Stakeholders Caution Federal Govt On $2.5Bn Animal Farming Investment In 6 States

Stakeholders at the Northern Zonal workshop on animal farming have urged the federal government to tread with caution in the implementation of the framework of a $2.5 billion animal farming investment with a Brazilian firm.

The workshop which took place in Minna was organised by Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network (YARN). It was aimed at reviewing the impact of the investment on Nigeria Agroecology.

Recall that the Nigerian government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with JBS a world leading Brazilian animal farming firm with 6 states of Niger, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Cross River and Kano to host the firm.

The programme manager of YARN, Seyi Olawuyi, said the need for caution was premised on the experience of other countries like Canada, USA and other developed countries where such ventures were marred by environmental and legal issues.

He said the government should not have rushed into signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Brazilian Animal farm firms without doing a thorough background check.

Olawuyi said the six participating states were merely interested in the MoU because of the prospect of the revenue that might accrue to the government from the venture, without recourse to the environmental impact and the interest of the locals .

The programme manager said “Industrial animal farming also known as factory farming presents growing concerns for Nigeria’s agricultural and food production landscape. It raises significant issues regarding public health, environmental sustainability, animal welfare, labour rights and socioeconomic equity.

“Globally, companies like JBS, SA one of the world’s largest meat processing corporations have come under scrutiny for their role in driving industrial-scale animal farming contributing to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and socioeconomic disruptions of local communities,” he added.

He recalled that in December 2024 JBS signed a five year investment plan worth $2.5 billion with the Nigerian government and the plan included building six facilities in Nigeria, three poultry plants two beef processing plants and a pork processing facility.