Nigeria:
Tyres at the expense of people’s livelihoods
Did you ever imagine
that the tyres of your car may have been produced at the expense
of a local community’s livelihood in Nigeria?
Most of the world natural
rubber production goes for the manufacturing of tyres for different
types of vehicles, ranging from cars, to trucks, airplanes and so
on. To have an idea of the huge amount of tyres consumed, let’s
take a look at the statistics in 2007 where 1.3 billion tires were
produced.
South East Asian countries
(Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand) are the major producers of rubber
in the world while Africa accounts for some 5% of global natural
rubber production. Within Africa, the main producing countries are
Nigeria (300,000 hectares), Liberia (100,000) and Cote d’Ivoire
(70,000).
The multinational companies
Michelin and Bridgestone are the major players in the world tire
production. Both of them are active in Africa, where they have set
up their rubber plantations. Bridgestone/Firestone Corporation has
its conflictive plantations established in Liberia and the sad history
is well known (see previous articles on Bridgestone in WRM Bulletins
134 and 102).
On its part, the France-based
Michelin has only recently started to write its own history of human
rights violations. It all started on May 29
2007, when over 3,500 hectares of Iguobazuwa
Forest Reserve including individual and communal farmlands were
allocated to Michelin to be converted into rubber plantations in
an illegal deal without the consent of community people. The invaded
Iguobazuwa Forest Reserve is located in Edo State at the southwestern
part of Nigeria.
Iguobazuwa Forest Reserve
has been described in time past as one of the forest and biodiversity-rich
regions of Nigeria. Around Iguobazuwa, more than 20,000 agrarian
people live. They depend on the forest for their daily livelihoods
and furthermore they used to have their farmlands around the forests
to cultivate the land.
Without having ever
consulted the communities, the local government allocated 3,500
hectares of forest land to the French multinational company to set
up its rubber plantations.
When Michelin arrived,
it bulldozed the 3,500 hectares of forests and also the people’s
farmlands. Local people found themselves from one day to another
with both sources of livelihood –their forest and farmlands- completely
destroyed. Iguobazuwa communities lost everything.
Their farmlands allowed
them to cultivate food for daily consumption, but it was also a
source of income as they used to sell some of their produce at the
local market. The surrounding forests used to be their pharmacy,
as well as the wood and water provider, and their place for worship.
The national environmental
advocacy group, Environmental Rights Action (ERA) that has been
closely following the case, reports that “On the eve of former Edo
State’s Governor Lucky Igbinendion’s exit from office (29th May,
2007), large expanses of Iguobazuwa forest reserve measuring over
three thousand five hundred hectares were allotted to Michelin Nigeria
Plc (owners of Osse river rubber estate company), without due process.
The approval, believed to have been gotten through the back door,
was done without due process or the consent of the community people.
This action, publicized by Michelin and the Government as a sign
of development, has brought a serious setback to the agrarian communities,
as Michelin’s rubber plantation has destroyed their forest, forest
resources, age-old individual and communal farmlands, leaving the
affected community people uncompensated.”
Speaking with ERA’s
Forest & Biodiversity officer/Media relations, Rita Osarogiagbon,
the Chairman of Iguobazuwa Community Development Association, Mr.
Gabriel Igbinigie revealed that the community people had once led
a protest delegation to the former Edo State Commissioner for Environment
Mrs. Sara Adetugbogboh (now Commissioner for Commerce and Industry),
over an alleged illegal concession of forest lands to Michelin Nigeria.
He said ‘She reiterated that the present arrangement with Michelin
was done by the past and not the current Government, adding that
Michelin should go and resolve the differences by paying compensation
to affected community members’”.
There have been many
attempts by different members of the communities to make their voices
heard but nothing has changed. Women, tired of being passive, have
decided to raise their voices and make their demands heard both
by the authorities and the company. During the first days of November
they gathered in a two day workshop to share their experiences.
As a result, they have come up with a series of demands and are
determined to get their lands back.
As a fallout from the
2-day workshop held on the 4th -5th November
2008, Michelin called some members of two communities (Aifesoba
and Iguobazuwa) out of the nine communities directly impacted, and
payed them compensation. One group from Iguobazuwa was paid fully
while the other community from Aifesoba was payed what the community
people described as peanuts, as according to them, it was a far
cry from the extent of destruction and was not commensurate with
the amount valued for the crops destroyed.
This divide and rule
tactics by Michelin, has caused serious disaffection among communities
and its members. Hence, a peaceful protest march by men, women and
children of the aggrieved communities was held recently in Benin
city to drive home their grievances. They solicited for ERA/FoEN
and the World Rainforest Movement’s continuous support in ensuring
justice.
A woman from one of
the adjacent communities in Iguobazuwa described the situation in
very clear terms when she said “I don’t want money.
I want my land back…if they give me one million Naira today, I will
still go broke, but if I have my land I can always farm to take
care of my family and possibly pass the land on to my children.”
They are facing serious
threats linked both to food shortages -which has resulted in the
food price hike in the local markets and has led to serious hunger
and malnutrition- and also health risks due to an outbreak of epidemics
as a result of the extinction of local medicinal plants resulting
from Michelin’s conversion of their forests to rubber plantations.
They stated that they
won’t stop until their land is given back, every tree felled replanted
and full compensation for the crops destroyed is given. They know
it is not an easy path and for accomplishing it they know that they
need international support.
Those of you who wish
to support these women can do so by signing on to the letter at
that will be sent to
the Nigerian Government as well as to Michelin’s offices.
Article based on: Information
from Environmental Rights Action, ERA Field report 172, at:
http://www.eraction.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=105:field-report-172-michelin-converts-prime-forest-to-plantation&catid=5;
Michelen web site:
www.michelin.com;
http://www.michelin.com/corporate/front/templates/affich.jsp?codeRubrique=88&lang=EN,
http://www.michelin.com/corporate/front/templates/affich.jsp?codeRubrique=88&lang=EN;
Information gathered
during the workshop conducted in Nigeria on 4 and 5 of November
within the joint WRM – FOE Project on the role of the EU
in disempowering women in the South.
