By Emmanuel Ado
There will always be problems, big problems with land acquisition by governments and the private sector for economic and infrastructural developments.This is a fall out of the ever increasing pressure on land, due to rapid urbanization and population growth that’s expected to reach 8.5 billion people by the year 2030. The implications are that planned investments have and would continue to be stalled due to problems related to land acquisition.Nigeria is poor with records, so it is difficult to establish the number of projects that have been stalled specifically due to problems with land acquisition.
Land is not just a pre-requisite for economic growth,there are very emotional issues tied to it, thus making it very difficult to thrash out issues relating to it in very straight forward fashion. Land acquisition for whatever purpose will always be controversial. The challenge confronting mankind is how to resolve this challenge in a manner that will be satisfactory to all- investors,the government and the people, especially as the importance of land as a factor of production,original source of all material wealth that is permanent, and lacks mobility can’t be denied.Factors that have contributed greatly to hardline positions whenever there are issues.Though Holland and the United Arab Emirates have reclaimed land from the sea, it is very negligible and so the issue remains on the front burner.
Because the Southern Kaduna Senatorial District has severally accused the Kaduna State Governor Nasir El – Rufai of deep “seated hatred”, ordinarily there shouldn’t have been issues of any sort,especially land once the governor attracted the Potatoes Integrated Farm and the Manchok Solar projects to the State. El – Rufai’s expectation,and that of many indigenes was unfortunately dashed. Rather than an embrace,he is being accused of land grabbing and of bringing “death” to them,as solar power is “dangerous to man and the environment. For certain the Vicampro Integrated Farm Project and the Solar Power projects, both located in Manchok, Kaura Local Government Area, would drastically and radically transform the economy of southern Kaduna,which desires real investments to change its fortunes.
Quaint Global Energy Solutions has obtained a $100 million facility to build a 50 MW solar power plant – ABIBA Solar Project. The Solar Project is funded by Access Co-Development Facility (‘ACF’)which is developing a portfolio of renewable energy projects in about 17 Africa countries worth over US$1 billion.For Reda El Chaar, Executive Chairman of Access the “project is a gateway to the widespread adoption of renewable energy in Africa’s largest economy, whilst cementing the role of ACF as an innovative platform for turning good concepts into bankable projects”. But his dream of widespread adoption of renewable,might remain a mirage,unless the fifth columnists who see no boundaries in politics, drop their opposition to the siting of the two projects in Manchok.
The Kaduna State Government which has not hidden its desire to be the business destination of the North and Abuja, had surprised many when it sited the two key projects in the South, most especially the Solar power project, considering that in terms of sun,Ikara an alternative site in the Northern Part of the State enjoys more sunlight,than Manchok. The decision obviously was informed by the fact that the governor wanted to be just and equitable to all sections of the State,most especially the South which to date has no viable industry and suffers from chronic power shortage. But more devastating is the rejection of the Farm, which El – Rufai literally hijacked from Plateau State, which is more renowned then Kaduna State,in Irish potatoes farming. Moreover the other power projects like the Kudenda Solar Project is located in Kaduna and the 30MW Gurara Hydroelectric power is also being evacuated to Kaduna metropolis to feed the Kaduna industrial estates. “The governor wanted to jump start the Southern Kaduna economy with the two projects” said a Commissioner.
The N40 billion Vicampro Integrated Farm Project comprises of a 1,000 hectares Farm and a factory that can process 30,000 tons of potatoes,which will save Nigeria the scarce foreign exchange spent on the importation of French fries. Not only will Vicampro save Nigeria about 200 million United States dollars,it will also earn foreign exchange of about 50O million from export for Nigeria and provide employment for over 35,000 people. Not to imagine the retail end services.
For a tinny,but vocal elite of the Manchok Community,the power and Farm Projects are Greek gifts, a plot by “outsiders to grab their ancestral land” and to “kill” their people “systematically due to the “hazardous nature” of solar power. Though the reasons appear laughable,but it has sadly held up the two projects. The Kaduna State Government must obviously be bemused by the development,considering that the land in question – the Manchok Ranch belongs to the Government. The difference this time around, is that the Government is not Dankobo,who was similarly chased away in the 1990’s. And until now, no serious venture of any kind was undertaken on that land,bringing to question the motive of those who have made it a duty to chase away investors.
The land in dispute was acquired in the 1970’s,by the government and was clearly fenced and demarcated. The traditional institution agrees with the government,that the land belongs to it. The land was in use as a ranch up to the 1980’s,when it folded up. Like everything government, the land was abandoned and trespassers encroached on it. Late Dankobo, efforts to put it to use, came to nought as he was literally chased away. The Government eventually handed over the land to the defunct Nigerian Agricultural and Livestock Development Agency(NALDA). The tinny,but vocal elite claim that the land was handed back to the various communities, but it has so far failed to produce the gazette transferring the land back to the Moroa,Kagoro and Takad communities. Sadly,is that it has held up work on the two projects and at very great cost to the investors,who obtained bank facilities to fund the projects.
It is laughable that while China has further underlined its role as the global leader in renewable energy by switching on the world’s largest floating 40 megawatts solar power plant,located in Huainan,in its eastern Anhui province,some elites would be opposing solar power,on the grounds that it is dangerous to Man and the environment,even after a clean bill of health by the environmental authorities. China leads the way in renewable research and development,where Solar dangerous it would have continued with its old ways.Rather China has been putting the brakes on its fossil fuel energy sources while investing in wind, hydro and solar power than any other country on earth. An indication of its desire to dominate the renewable energy market is the unparalleled 1.9 billion spent on solar power research and development in 2017.
What is the way forward? The maturity of the State Government in patiently pursuing dialogue,to secure the consent of the people,even when it is obvious it is standing on firm ground must be commended.The demand of the so called “land owners” that Vicampro hands off farming amounts to dictating to them how to conduct their business,especially as Vicampro has clearly indicated it’s willingness to do business with them. Since land acquisition generates crisis,which most often leads to stalled projects,there is a compelling need for a very,very Progressive law,that will address land acquisition problems.Moving forward,the law should demphasize the issue of compensation,it should rather encourage communities to use land as shares in commercial ventures.
If these projects fail,it would definitely not be for lack of funds,lack of government will or unfavorable market,but due to “stupid politics” that can’t draw lines. The World today, is a global community and investors compare notes. What the tinny elite that have organized the political agitations that have temporarily stalled the projects,should know is that in the long run, they are not hurting El – Rufai personally,nor Architect Bala Bantex,but the entire Southern Kaduna.
