THE forced acquisition of land by the Nasarawa State government has left many smallholder farmers, especially women, without a means of livelihood. For these women, their farms were not only a source of income but a lifeline for their families. As government projects move on, the communities they leave behind are struggling to survive. The ICIR reports.

Forty-year-old Nenman Nengak wiped her face with the sleeve of her gown as she recalled the tragic day when government officials, escorted by policemen, descended upon her farmland in Angwan Sama, Awe Local Government Area (LGA), Nasarawa State.

For the past eight years, she had cultivated the land which she inherited from her parents, planting maize, guinea corn, soybean, and benniseed to support the education of her five children.

But two years ago, her livelihood was abruptly cut off as state officials seized the land without notice, she recalls.

“They came suddenly, we were told the farm no longer belonged to us and that it was government land now,” Nengak says.

According to her, she was not given time to harvest what she had planted. Instead, she watched in helpless silence as bulldozers uprooted her crops.

Once, Nengak could harvest 20 bags of maize and 30 bags of soybeans. Now, she says she has nothing, and her life has never been the same. The financial strain forced one of her children to drop out of school in Lafia, while others transferred from private to public schools. Each day is a struggle as the only cocoyam crop, she now manages to grow in Angwan Sama, barely covers her family’s most basic needs.

“I don’t know where to get money for food, let alone carry out repairs of the dilapidated parts of our house,” she says, glancing at the crumbling walls.

Nengak’s experience is not an isolated incident. Across villages in Nasarawa State, women farmers recount similar narratives of loss and adversity during interviews conducted by The ICIR.

In 2018, when the Federal Government, in collaboration with the state, designated 22,000 hectares of land for a grazing reserve project, many women farmers were forcibly evicted from their ancestral lands. Many, like Nengak, had little warning, and some faced arrest when they resisted. Ironically, the grazing reserve remains largely unused, leaving women who depended on these lands to grapple with struggles.

Losses that go beyond land

Nasarawa State, like many parts of Nigeria, has grappled with persistent tensions between farmers and herders over competition for land, water and other resources. The grazing reserve initiative was introduced as a way to manage this issue, offering pastoralists a settled area with access to grazing land. In some cases, additional facilities like water points, veterinary services, and livestock markets.

However, a visit to the project site reveals that the initiative has failed to achieve its purpose, as herdsmen have mostly abandoned the designated grazing areas.

In Baure village, not far from Nengak’s home in Angwan Sama, 40-year-old Huldah Illiyah recounts the hardship her family has faced since their farmland was seized without notice or compensation. Her voice barely rises above a whisper as she describes losing the farm her family had tended since 1990.

“We had big farms where we planted yam, maize, and soya beans. That’s how we survived,” she says, holding her youngest child close.

“They just came and said the land belongs to the government. Our maize was two weeks from harvest, but cows ate what was left after they cleared the land. We don’t know what to do. I can’t pay the school fees of my children anymore, and finding food is a daily struggle.”

Without the farmland, Illiyah and her husband have been forced to rely on small purchases of food. But even that has proven difficult. Attempts to buy new farmland have led to more trouble, as disputes often arise after the sale. Each year, they search for land to rent, but even that has become a nearly impossible task.

“I am begging the government to look at us and our children. We need help,” Illiyah says, her face etched with sadness.

The loss of farmland in a complex web of land deals in Nasarawa State is not limited to small-scale farmers or projects. Helen Yohanna and her husband had once cultivated an expansive five-hectare farm, producing staple crops like maize, rice, and groundnuts. The land, inherited from her husband’s father, has been crucial in providing for their family of seven children for over a decade.

“We used to get a bountiful harvest after each planting season,” she said adding that the experience is now a distant memory.

A few years later, their farm was confiscated and cleared to make way for the Dangote Group’s $700 million sugar refinery project in Tunga, Awe LGA. Though the deal, signed in 2017, was touted as a significant investment for Nasarawa, Helen and other smallholders were left with nothing.

“We had just cleared the land and were preparing to plant rice when the authorities arrived. Without notice, they took everything, claiming the land belonged to them. The land in question was one of the lands allocated by the state government to Dangote for sugar refinery,” Yohanna said.

The signing ceremony of the deed of acquisition, lease, and development agreement for the project took place at the National Sugar Development Council, Sugar House in Abuja. The sugar refinery project comprised 68,000-hectare sugar plantations and two factories with the capacity to produce 430,000 tonnes per annum of refined white sugar, representing about 30 per cent of the country’s consumption and touted to be the largest plant in Nigeria.

“They sprayed chemicals on the land to prevent any further use, and we couldn’t do anything about it,” she says, tears rolling down her cheeks. Since then, life has been a constant struggle. Helen’s harvests have dwindled to almost nothing, and she barely manages to provide for her family.

Yohanna’s family has since moved to Taraba State to try farming on a smaller piece of land, but it is not enough. The rising prices and diminishing resources make feeding her children a tough challenge.

A cycle of poverty and loss

Paulina Mark, a 50-year-old mother of four, saw her livelihood collapse when her farmland was seized by the government last year. The land, which she had inherited from her parents and cultivated for decades, was taken without any notice or compensation. It had been their source of food and income, helping her pay school fees for her children and sustain her household.

Paulina sad, “One day, they just came and said the land now belongs to the government. There was no warning, no meeting, nothing. They came and chased us away. We didn’t even have time to gather our crops. Our maize was just two weeks away from harvest when they arrived. After that, cows came and finished the rest.

“Later they sprayed chemicals on the land and fenced the area off with wire. Now, we can’t enter. We even had three boreholes on the farm, but all of that is locked off now. They fenced it and put leather around it to keep people out.”

With their crops destroyed and no access to the land, her family was plunged into crisis.

“We’ve lost everything. There’s no maize, no food at all. We can’t feed ourselves, and my children are no longer going to school because I don’t have money to pay for their fees. We don’t even have money to buy food anymore. We live in fear and poverty,” she lamented.

While pointing put that the loss has taken more than their farm, she said,said, “It has shattered our hopes for the future. Now, we have nothing left.”

A pattern of displacement

Findings reveal that the forced displacement of farmers in Nasarawa State is not a new phenomenon. Over the years, the state government had acquired land for large-scale agricultural and development projects, often at the expense of local communities whose primary livelihood is farming. This trend has led to widespread protests and communal unrest, as residents are living under constant fear of losing the land that sustains their families.

In September, for example, some State Assembly members raised concerns over a proposed acquisition of 10,000 hectares in Agbashi Ekye Development Area of the state by SaroAfrica International Limited. Local farmers in the area, who rely on the land for their income and food security, voiced fears about their future and called on the government to halt the acquisition process. They were concerned that their ability to feed their families and send children to school would be jeopardised.

A similar case unfolded in Obi and Awe LGAs, where 10,000 hectares of farmland primarily used by Tiv communities were earmarked for a federal agricultural project aimed at improving food security. Although the government justified the acquisition as necessary for development, promising local employment opportunities, the farmers faced harassment from security agencies and lost their crops without compensation. This spurred legal action and backlash from affected communities demanding justice.

The experience of these women farmers in Nasarawa speaks to a larger issue of gender inequality in agriculture. Nigeria’s  National Agricultural Gender Policy acknowledges the vital role women play in food production, emphasising the need for equitable access to land and resources. However, the gap between policy and practice becomes glaring in Nasarawa, where development projects displace women farmers without alternatives or compensation.

The state government has defended its allocation of land for large-scale initiatives such as the Dangote Sugar Refinery and the Federal Government Grazing Reserve, citing the public interest. However, findings by The ICIR reveal a more complex scenario on the ground. For example, the grazing reserve, aimed at reducing farmer-herder conflicts by establishing controlled grazing spaces, remains largely underutilised, casting doubt on its efficacy.

Similarly, the Dangote Sugar Refinery celebrated as a potential economic advantage is yet to fulfil its promises of local economic transformation. Although the refinery has provided employment for some local youth, primarily men, farmers like Yohanna, who were displaced, received no alternative land or benefits from the project. Despite government assurances of uplifting livelihoods, smallholder women farmers are left grappling with the challenge of rebuilding their lives and sustaining their families without compensation.

Although the exact number of affected farmers is unclear, the scale of the displacement is significant. Among those who were interviewed by The ICIR, 15 farmers reported losing their land and livelihoods without any compensation. They described the disruption as widespread, with many more families across the affected areas facing similar struggles.

What does the law say?

The Land Use Act of 1978 vests all land within a state in the hands of the governor, who holds it in trust for the people. While the Act allows the government to acquire land for public purposes, it mandates that affected individuals be compensated for the land, crops, and improvements they lost. However, notice of acquisition and fair compensation are legal requirements that, in many cases, have not been adhered to in Nasarawa State.

Similarly, Section 44 of Nigeria’s Constitution prohibits the compulsory acquisition of property without prompt and adequate compensation, except for public purposes. Experts say non-compliance with these provisions is not only unlawful but also a violation of property rights that can be challenged in the court of law.

Right activists kick

A Nasarawa-based human rights lawyer, Jonathan Jabez, condemned the state government’s alleged forceful acquisition of land, describing such actions as unconstitutional.

“Such acts are not permitted under our laws. For any government to acquire land where communities reside, it must follow established procedures, “he said.

Emphasising the importance of dialogue with community leaders and landowners before taking any action, Jabez said: “Most of these lands are ancestral, with historical and cultural significance. Responsible governments must consult the affected communities and ensure their concerns are addressed,” he explained.

He stressed the necessity of adequate resettlement and compensation for displaced persons.

“Governments should either resettle the affected families or compensate them adequately. Skipping these steps undermines both property laws and constitutional protections,” he said.

On the plight of displaced farmers, Jabez said:“They can file petitions or seek judicial intervention to challenge these actions. Also, they should contact organisations like the Human Rights Commission or Legal Aid Council for support,” he advised.

The cost of development on women farmers

The head of research and advisory at Vestance, a consulting firm focused on Nigeria’s agricultural food system, Razaq Fatai,  acknowledged the potential benefits of development projects like factories and large-scale agricultural programmes.

According to him, while these initiatives can spur local economic growth, create jobs, and add value through processing, there are serious risks involved if the displacement of smallholder farmers, especially women, is mishandled.

Fatai warns that displacements could jeopardise food security, lead to shortages, increase poverty, and even fuel future conflicts, as smallholder farmers are integral to local food production.

“Without adequate support, the loss of their land could be detrimental to their livelihoods and well-being,” he said.

He said land seizures, particularly those affecting women, exacerbate economic vulnerability and deepen gender inequalities. “For many communities, land is not just an asset. It is tied to identity and cultural heritage. Losing it disrupts lives in ways that financial compensation alone cannot address.”

Fatai suggests that governments can avoid the harmful consequences of displacement by engaging farmers in early consultations.

“Balancing development with the needs of smallholder farmers requires fair compensation and inclusive project planning,” he said, adding that, “Providing alternative livelihoods, securing new land, and supporting agricultural cooperatives can help communities thrive alongside development.”

The founder of Community Action for Food Security (CAFS Africa), Azeez Salawu, stressed that while large agricultural and ranching projects have promising economic benefits, they should not be built on the suffering of local farmers.

“Sustainable land-use policies must protect local livelihoods and promote equitable land ownership. Development should uplift communities, not displace them.”

Salawu notes that the most immediate consequence of these evictions is the loss of livelihoods for smallholder farmers, many of whom rely on their land not only for income but for subsistence.

“When they are evicted from their land, they are left vulnerable to food insecurity, unemployment, and poverty,” he said.

But Salawu makes a more fundamental argument about the importance of food produced by smallholder farmers as compared to mechanised and big farm projects.

“Removing them from their lands could have broader implications on our local food security. For example, In Keffi, smallholder farmers are crucial for food production. Displacing them in favour of large-scale commercial projects could reduce local food availability and diversity, leading to increased food prices and a greater reliance on imported food.”

Salawu suggested that there are alternatives to eviction that could create “win-win situations” for both investors and local farmers. One of them, he says, is integrating farmers into the projects as partners. This approach, he explained, would allow farmers to maintain their livelihoods while benefiting from improved technology, infrastructure, and market access.

He called on the government to ensure transparency in land allocation processes and to guarantee that affected farmers are adequately compensated, resettled, or integrated into the new projects.

Surviving against the odds

Despite the challenges, some women farmers have continued to cultivate small plots of land through rented or borrowed arrangements. Others, like those from Awe, have moved to neighbouring Taraba State to keep farming. Patience Noah, who lost her 50-hectare farm to a state sale to Dangote, recounts the hardship of starting over.

“We only got two bags last year because the portion is so small,” she says, reflecting on the challenges they face with limited land.

Others, like Illiyah, have been less fortunate. She has spent years moving from place to place in search of land, facing disputes and challenges at every turn.

“We are not finding things easy. It’s only God helping us. This year, we tried to buy some farmland, but even if they sell it to you, it often leads to disputes and challenges. We don’t know what to do. I am begging the government to look at us and our children. We can’t feed our children anymore. We can’t even pay school fees.”

For women like Yohanna, Taraba state offered a temporary solution. There, she and others were given small plots in exchange for a portion of their harvest.

“It’s the only way we’ve managed to survive since we lost our land,” she explained, noting how challenging it is to sustain her family with such limited resources.

Women farmers seek help

The local coordinator of the Small-scale Women Farmers Association (SWOFON) in Awe LGA, Caroline Bala, expressed deep concern over the land seizures that have left women across the state without a stable livelihood.

“This situation has been a nightmare for us. We’ve lost everything including our farms, our incomes, our ability to feed our families. Now we live like beggars, dependent on charity to survive,” she laments.

Bala emphasised that the most painful part of the ordeal has been the state government’s lack of communication with affected communities.

“There was no notice, no community meeting, no explanation. Officials came with force, and we were simply expected to leave. Everything we had planted was destroyed, and the land was fenced off before we could gather our belongings.”

Despite numerous appeals to local and state authorities, Bala says that responses have been minimal and dismissive. This issue, she continued, extends beyond Nasarawa State, affecting over 14,000 smallholder farmers under SWOFON.

According to PWC, small-scale farmers make up over 80 per cent of Nigeria’s agricultural workforce and produce 90 per cent of its food, contributing substantially to the economy. Yet, with their land and livelihood under threat, the sector itself risks decline.

“This isn’t just happening in one community. The government is prioritising large projects over the people who have sustained Nigeria’s food security for generations. This has to stop, “she says, adding, “We are calling for justice. If the land cannot be returned, then there should be reparations for our crops, or alternative plots to farm. Development should not come at the cost of our lives.”

Bala clarified that women farmers are not opposed to development; they simply believe it should not come at the expense of those who depend on the land for survival. She urged the government to engage affected communities in dialogue and decisions that affect their lives, emphasising that if the government truly values its people, it should listen to their concerns and work toward a solution that benefits everyone.

State government denies forceful eviction of women farmers

In response to allegations of the forced displacement of women farmers from their farmlands in Nasarawa State to make way for the Dangote Sugar Refinery project, the state government denied any knowledge of such claims.

The Special Adviser to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Agriculture, Rayannu Ilyasu, dismissed reports that women farmers were evicted without compensation. He emphasised that the land used for the refinery project had been dormant for over two decades before being allocated under the administration of former Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura.

“I’ve never heard of any clashes or issues arising from the Dangote Sugar Refinery farm since its inception,” Ilyasu stated during a phone interview.

“If there was farming on the land before the project, it was under the past administration, and the affected people would have been duly compensated.”

Ilyasu cited records showing that N3.25 billion was paid as compensation to landowners but noted a possible case of exclusion, as women farmers who spoke with The ICIR denied receiving any such payments. He assured that the state government would investigate the matter.

“If such issues arise, we’ll advise on what to do. But as of now, I don’t have any knowledge of what you’re saying,” he added.

The Special Adviser requested specific details about the affected communities and their demographics, promising to consult local sources and verify the claims thoroughly.

Regarding allegations of unfair displacement linked to the state’s grazing reserve project, the Director of Veterinary Services at the Ministry of Agriculture, Abdullahi Musa, dismissed claims of forced eviction. He explained that the grazing reserve, spanning 26,000 hectares, was originally designated for cattle grazing and gazetted as government property in 1963.

“The grazing reserve was intended for cattle. However, over the years, farmers, many of whom are not indigenes of the state, encroached on the land,” Musa said.

He stated that over 90 per cent of the encroaching farmers hailed from Benue and Plateau States and that their activities lacked legal backing.

“Local authorities illegally sold plots to these farmers, even though the land belongs to the government,” he added.

According to Musa, the government began reclaiming 2,000 hectares in 2019 for a pilot ranching project, following years of failed attempts to resolve the encroachment. He said agreements were reached with the farmers to vacate the specified areas peacefully after the current farming season.

“The government is not evicting farmers without notice,” he said, adding, “The area we planted pastures was not being farmed. Even if anyone claims to have farmed within the reserve, it is still illegal.”

He acknowledged lapses in the government’s earlier failure to develop the grazing reserve, which allowed widespread encroachment.

“We recognise that the neglect of this land created these conflicts, but the current project aims to reduce farmer-herder tensions by designating specific areas for grazing and farming,” Musa said.

The director reiterated the state’s commitment to achieving a peaceful resolution while ensuring that the grazing reserve fulfils its intended purpose. However, there are still unanswered questions about the alleged exclusion of women farmers and the transparency of the compensation process.