Azura-Edo Independent Power Plant Environmental Impact ... - IFC

including the communities within the study area, belongs to the State under
Nigeria’s Land Use Act of 1978. However, in the Project area, usufruct
allocations are normally presided over by the traditional leader (Enogie) and
residents must apply to him to request land use allocations. Decisions around
land allocation and use are made in consultation with the Land Allocation
Committee, through the chairman of the Committee. Land may be allocated
to both native and non-native (migrant) residents for farming purposes
without payment, though only native males may plant oil palms or other
trees. Traditionally land is allocated to a user for a period of two years, after
which it is reallocated to another user.
While agricultural land can be distributed without payment, land for home
construction must be purchased. Houses in the three communities are mostly
constructed of mud with corrugated iron or zinc roofing.
In recent times, a number of people have begun to gain use of land through
purchase or inheritance, when community land is sold off. This has created
opportunities for women, who traditionally could only gain land rights
through their husbands.
Aside from agricultural lands for cultivation and livestock, forest areas located
around the communities are also important to some residents, who rely on
them for the collection of forest products particularly firewood, rattans, and
various fruits and vegetables. These are used for household consumption or
are sold to traders to supplement household income.
5.7 INFRASTRUCTURE
5.7.1 Access to Electricity
In the study area, Orior-Osemwende does not have a supply of electricity.
The other two communities have access to public electricity supply; however,
this supply is erratic and nearly all residents complained about its irregularity.
Part of the reason for this poor supply, according to community stakeholders,
is that that the transformers servicing the communities are too small, which
leads to low supply and frequent cut-offs. There are no public or
communally-owned generators, but a few residents have privately owned
generators to provide back-up electricity.
5.7.2 Access to Water
According to the World Bank, 58 percent of the national population of Nigeria
had access to an improved water source in 2008. Such access was significantly
better in urban areas than in rural areas (World Bank, 2010).
In Edo State, only a small percentage of households in communities outside
Benin City are likely to have access to piped water. According to the 2006 state
census, only five percent of households in the state have piped water within
their dwellings and another nine percent have access to piped water outside
AZURA EDO IPP
5-23
DRAFT EIA REPORT