A coalition of civil society organisations has called on the Federal Government to shield Nigeria’s smallholder farmers—the backbone producing up to 70% of the nation’s food—from the risks posed by expanding agro-industrial corporations. Speaking at an Abuja rally, the group urged lawmakers and the Livestock Ministry to establish strong land protection laws, ensure thorough Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA), and promote wide community consultations.
Dr Nnimmo Bassey of HOMEF highlighted the need for community control over food systems to preserve farmlands as vital heritage and means of survival. The coalition warned that industrial farming threatens food sovereignty, displaces local farmers, and degrades ecosystems worldwide.
Advocates called for support through public investment, market access, agroecological training, and inclusive decision-making involving local farmers and civil society. They emphasized agroecology as the sustainable alternative to exploitative factory farming.
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