The Director of Programmes, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Joyce Brown, has stated that the industrial methods used for large-scale animal rearing, which rely heavily on antibiotics, should undergo thorough investigation.
According to her, this is to prevent Nigeria from becoming a target for exploitation by international firms looking to take advantage of the country’s agricultural landscape.
Brown’s concerns come amidst the growing debate over the federal government’s push for industrial farming, particularly the expansion of large-scale animal farming in states like Benue, Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa, and Ogun.
These states have allocated significant tracts of land to foreign companies, with investments valued at over $2.5 billion.
While officials argue that these projects will drive agricultural transformation and attract foreign capital, critics highlight the potential negative impacts on local communities, food security, and the environment.
Brown emphasized that the rise of industrial farming could severely disadvantage smallholder farmers, who have long been the backbone of the nation’s food system.
She noted that many of these foreign companies, despite promises of employment, often offer low-wage, menial jobs to local workers, while higher-level positions are filled by individuals from outside the communities.
Furthermore, there is growing concern about land displacement. Many of the areas being allocated for these ventures are traditional grazing lands and farmland that local farmers depend on for their livelihoods.
Her words: “Already, large areas of land are being taken for these projects.
“Niger State, for example, has offered 1.2 million hectares for industrial animal farming, which threatens to displace many farmers and pastoralists.”
In addition to land issues, Brown raised concerns about the environmental sustainability of such ventures, stating that the use of chemicals, which are often integral to intensive farming practices, could contaminate water sources and degrade local ecosystems.
She pointed out that much of the meat produced from these large-scale operations would be intended for export rather than addressing local demand.
She further noted that there are potential health implications of antibiotic use in animal farming.
Brown questioned the safety of consuming meat produced under such conditions, given the widespread use of antibiotics to boost production and combat disease in confined animals.
As Brown explained, the long-term effects of antibiotic-laced meat on human health remain largely unknown, and further investigation is necessary to ensure the safety of the population.
Meanwhile, Mariann Bassey Olsson, Deputy Executive Director for Environmental Rights Action, Friends of the Earth Nigeria, voiced her opposition to factory farming, arguing that it could lead to the extinction of many native ruminants.
She pointed out that factory farms are unnatural environments for animals, which are often confined to small spaces with limited mobility.
Unlike ranching, she added, where animals have more freedom to roam and graze, factory farming subjects them to conditions that are both unhealthy and inhumane.
Olsson further criticized the lack of adequate environmental and feasibility studies for such ventures. “Investors need to carefully assess the environmental, health, and socioeconomic impacts of introducing factory farming into Nigeria.
“These projects could place a significant burden on local communities, from the strain on water resources to the potential health risks associated with consuming animals raised in confined, antibiotic-laden environments,” Olsson noted.