DANIEL OLISA IWEZE
Department of History & International Studies,
University of Benin, Nigeria
daniel.iweze@uniben.edu
Abstract
This paper focuses on land grabbing and its implications for Nigeria’s economic development since 1978. There has been a global rush for arable land in many African countries including Nigeria by foreign governments, multinational agri-business corporations and private investors from the developed countries. This practice involves the acquisition of vast tracts of arable lands purposely to modernize agriculture by boosting food security, generating employment and stimulating the socio-economic development of rural communities. Land grabbing in Nigeria is predicated on the need for biofuel production aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which is a harbinger of global warming and food insecurity. Although the acquired lands have been used for biofuel production to meet the energy needs of both local and foreign countries, the revenues that accrued from the sale of abundant biofuel have not been judiciously utilized by the Nigerian government for the socio-economic development of the country. Land grabbing has caused the dispossession of lands from the peasant farmers, displacement and pauperization of the rural peasants and neglect of the development of rural communities.
Introduction There has been an increase in the global demand for land over the years. Factors such as population growth, greater demand for biofuel production and changing patterns of food consumption have exerted great pressure on the global food security. Climate change also threatens agricultural production in many regions of the world and this makes many governments and transnational corporations increasingly active in…..