Stakeholders Raise Alarm over incursion of multinationals into meat production sector in Nigeria

By: Michael Mike

Stakeholders from civil society, research institutions, and international organisations have expressed deep concern over the growing incursion of multinational industrial farming corporations into Nigeria’s meat production sector, warning of grave consequences for food sovereignty, public health, and the environment.

The concerns were raised during a media workshop organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) in Abuja on Thursday, where participants examined the implications of industrial-scale animal agriculture on local communities and Nigeria’s food system.

Speaking at the workshop, the Director of Programmes at HOMEF, Joyce Okeogene Brown highlighted that multinational corporations such as JBS are acquiring vast expanses of land in Nigeria.

She cited Niger State’s offer of 1.2 million hectares of land as an example, warning that such acquisitions threaten to displace local farmers and pastoralists who currently sustain national food production.

“Industrial farming projects often lead to the loss of grazing and farmland for local communities. Most of the meat produced is destined for export, not to meet local food needs,” Brown noted.

She said: “A study presented by HIDA Resource Centre revealed that communities in Nassarawa, Kaduna, and Benue States are not benefitting from promised employment opportunities. Instead, locals are often restricted to menial jobs, while skilled positions go to outsiders.

The report also documented cases of farmland loss, water contamination, and chemical pollution linked to industrial farming practices.

Brown stressed that Nigeria must prioritise its smallholder farmers, who currently produce over 70 percent of the nation’s food. “Rather than ceding control of our food system to foreign corporations driven by profit, the government should strengthen local farmers who are already feeding the nation,” she said.

Adding a global perspective, Dr. Patrick Mwinde of World Animal Protection warned of rising antimicrobial resistance linked to industrial livestock systems, which heavily rely on antibiotics.

He stressed that: “Already, 1.27 million people die annually from untreatable infections. Without urgent action, this number could reach 10 million by 2050,”.

Mwinde also noted that industrial farms rely heavily on herbicides and fertilisers that pollute water bodies and soil, leaving neighbouring communities vulnerable to toxic runoff.

“These companies externalise their costs maximising profit while communities pay the price with their health and environment,” he cautioned.

Mariann Bassey Olsson, Coordinator of the Food Sovereignty Programme for Nigeria and Africa at Friends of the Earth, underscored the difference between food security and food sovereignty, insisting that the latter is Nigeria’s only path to sustainable farming.

“Food sovereignty means Nigerians should eat what is locally sourced and produced, in the quality and quantity they desire, not just any food,” she explained.

She argued that Nigeria can not only feed itself but also Africa and the world, provided the government invests in infrastructure, protects farmers from insecurity, and supports small-scale agriculture.

The stakeholders recommended that government: Protect smallholder farmers and livestock producers who feed the majority of Nigerians; Halt large-scale land concessions to foreign corporations; Invest in rural infrastructure and security to enable farmers to expand production; Regulate against environmental degradation and ensure polluters bear the cost of cleanup.

They also stressed that Nigeria’s long-term food sovereignty depends on empowering its farmers, not outsourcing food production to corporations whose primary interest is profit.

Stakeholders Raise Alarm over incursion of multinationals into meat production sector in Nigeria