Abuja, Nigeria Blessing Akan, representing Ecosteward and Humanitarian Foundation (EHF), joined civil society leaders, advocates, and stakeholders at a multi-stakeholder workshop held at Broadfield Hotel, Abuja. The event was convened by HOMEF, Environmental Rights Action, World Animal Protection, YARN, and HEDA Resource Centre to examine the implications of industrial animal farming in Nigeria.
The dialogue centred on the activities of JBS S.A., a Brazilian multinational and the world’s largest meat processing corporation, which recently signed a $2.5 billion investment deal with the Nigerian government to establish six large-scale facilities across the country.
From expert presentations and case studies, participants raised concerns about the negative consequences of industrial animal farming. While the project promises investment and infrastructure, experiences from Brazil, where JBS originated, reveal troubling realities, widespread deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, public health risks, and exploitation of workers.
“Industrial animal farming may look attractive in the short term, but in the long run, it does more harm than good,” participants noted, highlighting that such projects often fail to employ local labour and instead displace communities, forests, and farmlands.
The Director for Africa, World Animal Protection, emphasized that animal welfare and freedom must not be sacrificed in pursuit of profit.
At the close of deliberations, the workshop produced key recommendations:
- The Nigerian government should pause and reassess the sustainability of the JBS project.
- Greater support should be directed towards small-scale farmers, including improved access to rural infrastructure such as farm roads.
- Policy frameworks must be people-centred, prioritising communities and food sovereignty over corporate interests.
Civil society organisations, including Ecosteward Foundation, also committed to:
- Sustained advocacy and stakeholder engagement.
- Collaboration with community leaders and young people to resist harmful agricultural models.
- Leveraging media and digital platforms to amplify the call for sustainable, community-driven farming practices.
Speaking on behalf of EHF, Blessing Akan reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment:
“At Ecosteward and Humanitarian Foundation, we strongly believe Nigeria’s future lies in sustainable, community-driven agriculture—not industrial farming. We will continue to stand with people, protect the planet, and defend food sovereignty.”
The event marks an important step in uniting voices across sectors to push for a more equitable and environmentally responsible agricultural system in Nigeria.
