The article reports allegations against Okomu Oil Palm Company in Nigeria, accusing it of human rights abuses including forced evictions, land grabbing, and environmental damage. Local communities claim the company has violated their rights through intimidation and destruction of livelihoods without adequate compensation or consultation. These accusations are supported by a legal complaint filed with the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria.
Okomu Oil Palm Company denies these allegations, asserting its adherence to legal and ethical standards while highlighting its contributions to local development and employment. The company claims to operate within Nigerian laws and regulations, with engagements aimed at fostering community relations and sustainable practices. The case underscores ongoing tensions between corporate operations, community rights, and environmental protection in Nigeria’s oil palm sector.
Keywords: Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria, palm oil, primary production, human rights violations, land grabbing
Sources: https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/nigeria-oil-palm-plantation-company-accused-of-human-rights-violations-forceful-evictions-amongst-others-incl-company-response/
The article titled “INVESTIGATION: Inside illegal mining operations of notorious Nigerian terrorist” published on Premium Times, provides an in-depth look into the illegal mining operations run by Halilu Sububu, a notorious terrorist in Nigeria’s North-west region. Sububu, a former gunrunner who mentored several other terrorists, has established a thriving illegal gold mining operation in the solid mineral-rich Bagega and other communities around Sumke forest in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State. Sububu’s gang routinely abducts villagers who are compelled to work at the mines. The involvement of terrorists in illegal mining is not new, but Sububu and his gangs have taken over the running of the mines from the locals who are now forced to work for them usually without pay. The article suggests that terrorists like Sububu have diversified into mining to continue financing their terrorism activities.
Keywords: Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria, minerals, primary production, illegal mining, terrorist and conflict financing
Source: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/653658-investigation-inside-illegal-mining-operations-of-notorious-nigerian-terrorist.html?tztc=1
A report by The Independent has highlighted the economic, social and environmental impacts of cattle open grazing in Nigeria. While some argue that open grazing sustains the livelihood of the Fulani pastoralists and preserves cultural heritage, others claim it serves as a mechanism for strategic land grabs, contributing to land conflicts and environmental degradation. First of all, it is being increasingly demonstrated that open grazing, where herders allow their animals to graze freely over large areas of land, is in reality inefficient and harmful to the environment. Findings hold that this traditional practice leads to deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution. As a consequence, these practices have disrupted the local economy and contributed to conflict between Fulani pastoralists and farmers over land. In addition, Nigeria's history of land tenure has often favoured elites over indigenous communities, exacerbating tensions. Efforts to regulate open grazing, such as the anti-open grazing bill currently in the Nigerian Senate, aim to establish regulations for ranching and address conflicts between herders and farmers. However, the bill faces opposition, with some arguing that the National Assembly lacks the authority to legislate on this matter.
Keywords: Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria, cattle, primary production, deforestation
Sources: https://independent.ng/how-sponsors-of-herders-insist-on-open-grazing-to-grab-land-security-experts-farmers-reveal/#google_vignette
According to AP News, illegal logging activities in Nigeria's Omo Forest Reserve are increasing rapidly as a consequence of corruption and lax enforcement of environmental regulations. The Omo Forest Reserve is a protected area, but with timber in the outer, legally logged regions becoming scarce, loggers are encroaching deeper into the conservation zone. Issues such as uncontrolled cocoa farming and increased poaching are behind this illegal expansion. Illegal logging in the region is facilitated by rampant corruption and bribery. Loggers frequently bypass regulations by paying off government officials. Rangers report seeing previously arrested individuals back in the forest, demonstrating a widespread ability to avoid punishment. Forest guards also note that higher authorities override their attempts to prevent illegal logging, making them feel helpless. Illustrative of this corrupt behaviour, the Ogun state government, which owns the reserve, claims it is replanting more trees than are being cut, a claim that has been widely debunked. Such lax enforcement is caused by a local economic dependency on timber logging, which makes strict enforcement politically challenging.
Keywords: Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria, timber, cocoa, primary production, illegal logging, corruption and bribery
Sources: https://apnews.com/article/deforestation-logging-nigeria-climate-49513339cd47629b7413ae4788d61a3a
Nigeria’s mining sector faces heightened risk of exploitation by foreign criminals due to issues around ineffective management of natural resources and opaque extraction processes. China is a high-risk jurisdiction, with several Chinese nationals having been arrested in Nigeria for their involvement in illegal mining since 2020. In one case, police in Zamfara State arrested two Chinese nationals for allegedly engaging in illegal mining in the Bukkuyum locality, where all mining activities are banned due to local conflict.
Most of the illicit mining in Nigeria is driven by international criminal networks and foreign demand for key minerals such as gold. Local actors, however, often play a crucial role in facilitating the illicit mining and trafficking of these minerals. This issue is compounded by the fact that regulators and security forces in the country have not prioritised security and anti-corruption efforts across the mining sector.
Keywords: Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria, minerals, gold, primary production, illegal mining, organsied crime, gold trafficking
Source: https://www.securityfocusafrica.com/2024/01/16/nigeria/
The article titled “Cocoa and gunshots: The struggle to save a threatened forest in Nigeria” published on Mongabay, discusses the struggle to save Nigeria’s Omo Forest Reserve from deforestation caused primarily by cocoa farming. The reserve, which provides habitat for animals such as forest elephants and drinking water for Lagos, has lost more than 7% of its tree cover over the past two decades. Thousands of small farmers, seeking fertile soil and a respite from poverty, have illegally settled in the reserve. The government is hesitant to evict them as it would disrupt their livelihoods and require significant funding. Instead, the focus is on preventing more farmers from invading Omo. This is the goal of rangers who patrol Omo’s remaining forests looking for footprints and listening for chainsaws and gunshots. Despite their efforts, the reserve is too big for the relatively small team to effectively monitor in its entirety.
Keywords: Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria, cocoa, primary production, illegal logging, illegal production
Source: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/07/cocoa-and-gunshots-the-struggle-to-save-a-threatened-forest-in-nigeria/