Nigerian Coalition Demands Transparency on JBS Investment

A coalition comprising civil society organizations, farmers’ groups, pastoralist associations, youth and women’s groups, and environmental and animal-welfare organizations has called for the immediate publication of the full text of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) related to the proposed $2.5 billion livestock investment by Brazilian meat-processing giant JBS in Nigeria. The coalition made this demand during a press briefing in Abuja, following a three-day strategy workshop organized by the Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network (YARN), Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Environmental Rights Action (ERA), and HEDA Resource Centre.

Opeyemi Elujulo, Executive Director of YARN, expressed concerns about the lack of transparency nearly two years after the agreement was reportedly signed. The coalition highlighted the absence of environmental and social impact assessments, arguing that this limits the ability of affected communities to evaluate the investment's consequences.

They also raised issues regarding JBS's global record, including links to deforestation and labor rights violations.