Land Grabbing, Agribusiness, and Human Rights Violations in Kaduna State: An Empirical Analysis

This research empirically analyses the human rights dimensions of large-scale land acquisitions and agribusiness investments in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria, examining the impact on smallholder farmers, indigenous communities, and women landholders. Land grabbing, defined as the acquisition of large tracts of land by domestic or foreign investors without adequate community consultation or compensation, has been documented as a global human rights concern linked to violations of the rights to food, livelihood, and property. The study draws on the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food's framework for responsible agricultural investment, the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure, and Nigeria's Land Use Act to develop an evaluative framework. An empirical qualitative methodology employs in-depth community interviews in three Kaduna State local government areas where large-scale agricultural investments have occurred since 2020, complemented by analysis of land lease agreements obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests and interviews with agricultural investment officials, civil society researchers, and land rights lawyers. Findings reveal systematic failures to obtain community consent, inadequate compensation for displaced small farmers, loss of access to communal water sources, and disproportionate impact on women who lack formal land titles. The study argues that current land governance frameworks in Kaduna enable human rights-violating land acquisitions with near-total impunity. Recommendations include mandatory FPIC requirements for land acquisitions above 500 hectares and reform of the Land Use Act to protect communal land rights. Keywords: land grabbing, agribusiness, human rights, Kaduna State, land governance.