FOI Act: CSOs, farmers demand full disclosure of $2.5bn livestock investment agreement

A coalition of civil society organisations, farmers’ groups, pastoralist associations, youth and women’s groups, and environmental and animal-welfare organisations has demanded the immediate publication of the full text of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and other agreements underpinning the proposed $2.5 billion livestock investment by Brazilian meat-processing giant, JBS, in Nigeria.

The coalition, at a press briefing held on Thursday in Abuja, said the disclosure should cover all related contracts, land allocations, financing arrangements, incentive packages and beneficial ownership details connected with the proposed establishment of six industrial meat-processing facilities across the country.

The briefing followed a three-day strategy workshop on the “Expansion of Industrial Livestock Production in Nigeria”, organised by the Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network (YARN), Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Environmental Rights Action (ERA) and HEDA Resource Centre.

Executive Director of YARN, Opeyemi Elujulo, said the failure to make the agreement public nearly two years after it was reportedly signed had raised serious questions about transparency and public participation in a project capable of significantly altering Nigeria’s food system.

“While recognising the importance of responsible investment in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, we stressed that an investment capable of reshaping the country’s food system must strictly align with international standards,” Elujulo said.

He added that “Nigerian food future is being negotiated behind closed doors”, stressing that decisions being taken on the livestock sector would determine “who controls its land, water and food, and whether the millions of farmers and pastoralists who feed the nation will have anything in them.”

The coalition also expressed concern that no environmental and social impact assessment relating to the proposed project had been made public, arguing that the absence of such information limits the ability of affected communities and citizens to assess the potential consequences of the investment.

Elujulo who cited Article 24 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantees the right to a general satisfactory environment favourable to development, argued that large-scale industrial livestock expansion without adequate public oversight could affect land, water, ecosystems and community livelihoods.

While expressing grave concerns about what they described as JBS’ global record, including reported links involving its supply chain and deforestation in Brazil, as well as allegations concerning labour and land rights, he frowned against changes to the company’s human rights and climate-related commitments.

Drawing lessons from Australia, he observed that JBS entered that country’s market in 2007 amid promises of investment, jobs and food security, but subsequently became its largest meat processor while exporting much of its production.

“We stressed that more output alone does not mean greater food security. What matters is who benefits, who holds power, and whether the farmers, communities, animals and ecosystems that make up Nigeria’s food systems are strengthened or displaced,” he said.

Elujulo disclosed that the Coalition had already submitted Freedom of Information requests to the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, the Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Niger State Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, seeking access to the relevant documents.

“So the next step for us is to submit the MoU. And if we don’t get a response from them, then we’re going to the Ministry of Justice. And if we don’t get that, then we are going to take litigation measures to ensure that we get those documents,” he said.

In her remarks, Barrister Bassey-Olsson said the requests were made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 2011, stressing that the coalition was seeking the MoU, related agreements and other records of government engagement with JBS.

She said although the $2.5 billion headline investment figure was publicly known, crucial details concerning lender terms, allocation of funds and the beneficial ownership of private investment vehicles remained undisclosed.

“Public investment must take care of the people. It must have a human face. It should at all times be people over profits,” Bassey-Olsson said, adding that the government holds public land in trust for the people.

According to her, “We have approached the government to give us the contents of this MOU. We are all stakeholders. We are all right holders. We have a right to know. JBS is investing in our land.”

The Coalition linked the proposed JBS investment to the Federal Government’s National Livestock Transformation Plan and the Nigerian Livestock Master Plan 2026–2040, while acknowledging the government’s stated objective of modernising the livestock sector and reducing farmer-herder conflicts.

However, the Stakeholders called for greater consultation with farmers, pastoralists, women, youth, affected communities and civil society, as well as independent environmental and social impact assessments before further land allocation, approvals or construction activities.

The Coalition also demanded enforceable safeguards for smallholder farmers and pastoralists, including protection of access to markets, waterways and groundwater, while urging the government to prioritise agroecology, indigenous seeds and resilient local food systems.

“We reiterate that we, as a coalition, are not opposed to investment in Nigeria’s agricultural sector. However, we support investment that is transparent, accountable, rooted in the needs of Nigerian farmers and communities, and aligned with international obligations,” Bassey-Olsson noted.

She therefore warned that transparency was essential to public accountability and food sovereignty, insisting that Nigerians whose land, water and livelihoods could be affected by the proposed investment must be allowed to participate in decisions before, rather than after, agreements are concluded.